Når appen ikke er pålitelig, blir jeg misfornøyd.

When the app is not reliable, I become dissatisfied.

Breakdown of Når appen ikke er pålitelig, blir jeg misfornøyd.

• jeg: I
• være: to be
• når: when
• bli: to become
• ikke: not
• appen: the app
• pålitelig: reliable
• misfornøyd: dissatisfied

Questions & Answers about Når appen ikke er pålitelig, blir jeg misfornøyd.

Why is it “blir jeg” and not “jeg blir” in the second clause?

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must come in second position. Because the subordinate clause (Når appen ikke er pålitelig) is placed first, it counts as position 1, so the verb in the main clause (blir) must come next: blir jeg misfornøyd. If you put the subordinate clause at the end, you get normal order: Jeg blir misfornøyd når appen ikke er pålitelig.

Why does the negation ikke come before er in the first clause?

In subordinate clauses (introduced by words like når, at, fordi), the order is typically: subordinator + subject + sentence adverb (like ikke) + verb. Hence: Når (subordinator) appen (subject) ikke (negation) er (verb) pålitelig.

Could I use da or hvis/om instead of når?

• når: “when/whenever,” also used for general conditions, including present-time habits. Fits well here.
• hvis/om: “if.” Also possible: Hvis/Om appen ikke er pålitelig, blir jeg misfornøyd (slightly more conditional).
• da: “when (then)” for a single, specific past event. Not appropriate for a general/habitual statement like this.

Is the comma after the first clause necessary?

Yes. In Norwegian, a subordinate clause placed before the main clause is followed by a comma: Når …, blir …. If the subordinate clause comes after, there’s usually no comma: Jeg blir misfornøyd når ….

Why use blir (“become”) instead of er (“am”)?

• blir highlights a change or reaction: “I become/get dissatisfied” as a result of the app being unreliable.
• er would state a static condition: Når …, er jeg misfornøyd = “I am dissatisfied (whenever that’s the case).” Both are grammatical; blir sounds more like a response to the situation.

What gender is app, and why is it appen?

In Bokmål, app is usually masculine: en app (indefinite), appen (definite). Plurals: apper (indefinite), appene (definite). You’ll rarely see it as neuter; feminine is not standard here.

Why doesn’t pålitelig change form?

Adjectives ending in -ig/-lig/-elig usually don’t take the neuter -t. In predicative use they follow the same pattern:

• Singular: (er) pålitelig (for both common and neuter singular)
• Plural: (er) pålitelige Here it’s predicative with a singular subject (appen), so pålitelig is correct.

Does misfornøyd agree with the subject, and are there other forms?

Predicative adjectives agree in number (and sometimes gender), but misfornøyd behaves like many -d adjectives:

• Singular: (er/blir) misfornøyd
• Plural: (er/blir) misfornøyde There’s no separate -t form in neuter for Bokmål. You may also see the variant misfornøgd in more conservative forms; misfornøyd is the most common.

Can I say ikke fornøyd instead of misfornøyd?

Yes: Når appen ikke er pålitelig, er jeg ikke fornøyd. Nuance:

• misfornøyd = dissatisfied/displeased (a bit stronger and more compact)
• ikke fornøyd = “not satisfied,” often slightly softer.

Could I put the first clause at the end?

Yes: Jeg blir misfornøyd når appen ikke er pålitelig. Meaning is the same. Word order inside the clauses doesn’t change.

Can I add så after the når-clause?

Optionally, yes: Når appen ikke er pålitelig, så blir jeg misfornøyd. It’s colloquial/emphatic. In writing, many prefer leaving så out, but it’s not wrong. V2 still applies: så blir jeg …, not så jeg blir ….

Why not say Når appen er ikke pålitelig?

Because it’s a subordinate clause. In main clauses, it’s Subject–Verb–ikke: Appen er ikke pålitelig. In subordinate clauses, ikke comes before the verb: … appen ikke er pålitelig.

Is there a difference between når here and question når (“when?”)?

Same word, different roles:

• Here it’s a subordinating conjunction: Når appen ikke er …, blir …
• As a question word it fronts a direct question: Når er appen pålitelig? The sentence type and word order tell you which it is.

Pronunciation tips for special letters here?

• å in når: like the vowel in “law,” rounded.
• ø in misfornøyd: rounded vowel between “uh” and “eh.”
• øy in misfornøyd: a diphthong like “oy” in “boy,” but with rounded start.
• Final -d in fornøyd is usually lightly pronounced or nearly silent in casual speech.

Any close synonyms for pålitelig in this context?

Yes:

• stabil (stable)
• driftsikker (operationally reliable)
• til å stole på (trustworthy, idiomatic) All can work, with slight nuances. For software, stabil and driftsikker are common.