Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Tilbudet frister henne knapt, fordi boken er nesten utsolgt. - The offer scarcely tempts her, because the book is almost sold out.

friste (noen) = to tempt/entice (someone). Here, Tilbudet frister henne means The offer tempts her.
Present tense is frister for all persons.
Common patterns:
- friste + objekt: Tilbudet frister henne.
- friste noen til å + infinitiv: Tilbudet frister henne til å kjøpe.
- Adjective alternative: være fristende: Tilbudet er fristende (for henne).

Why is it henne and not hun or hennes?

hun = subject form (she): Hun liker tilbudet.
henne = object form (her): Tilbudet frister henne.
hennes = possessive (her/hers): Hennes bok er nesten utsolgt. So you need henne as the object of frister.

What does knapt mean, and where does it go in the sentence?

knapt = hardly/barely.
In a main clause, it occupies the “sentence adverb” slot (like ikke). With a weak object pronoun, it usually comes after the pronoun:
- Most natural: Tilbudet frister henne knapt.
- Possible but less common: Tilbudet frister knapt henne.
In a subordinate clause introduced by fordi, a sentence adverb comes before the finite verb:
- fordi hun knapt har tid.
Near-synonyms: nesten ikke (almost not), så vidt (just barely). knapt is a bit stronger/formal than nesten ikke.

Why is it fordi boken er and not fordi er boken?

fordi introduces a subordinate clause. Subordinate clauses use subject–verb order (no V2 inversion):
- Correct: fordi boken er nesten utsolgt
- Incorrect: fordi er boken nesten utsolgt

Why is there a comma before fordi here? Can I omit it?

When a fordi-clause comes after the main clause and is tightly integrated, many style guides prefer no comma:
- Tilbudet frister henne knapt fordi boken er nesten utsolgt.
A comma is used when the because-clause is more of an afterthought/explanation (a slight pause):
- Tilbudet frister henne knapt, fordi boken er nesten utsolgt.
If the fordi-clause comes first, you must use a comma:
- Fordi boken er nesten utsolgt, frister tilbudet henne knapt.

What’s the difference between boken and boka?

In Bokmål, bok can be treated as masculine or feminine.
- Masculine definite: boken
- Feminine definite: boka
Both are correct; boka often feels more colloquial, boken more formal/traditional. Indefinite singular can be en bok (common) or ei bok (also accepted in Bokmål).

How do nesten and knapt differ?

nesten = almost/nearly; it typically modifies adjectives, adverbs, or amounts: nesten utsolgt, nesten ferdig, nesten to hundre.
knapt = barely/hardly; negative-leaning, often modifies the whole predicate: frister henne knapt.
Note the meaning difference:
- nesten utsolgt = almost sold out (very few left).
- knapt utsolgt = hardly sold out (i.e., not really sold out) — usually not what you want here.

Why is it utsolgt and not utsolgte after er?

After a linking verb like er, adjectives are in predicative position and do not take the definite ending triggered by a definite noun:
- den utsolgte boken (attributive, before the noun)
- Boken er utsolgt (predicative, after er)

Can I use something other than fordi to mean because, like for, siden, or ettersom?

siden / ettersom: Yes, both work like fordi (subordinators with subject–verb order):
- …, siden boken er nesten utsolgt.
- …, ettersom boken er nesten utsolgt.
- Note: siden can also mean “since (time)”.
for: Also “because/for,” but it’s a coordinating conjunction that introduces a new main clause (V2 word order). It often sounds a bit bookish:
- … , for boken er nesten utsolgt.

Could I say Tilbudet er knapt fristende (for henne) instead?

Yes. That uses the adjective fristende instead of the verb friste:
- Tilbudet er knapt fristende (for henne).
The original focuses on how the offer affects her (frister henne). The adjective version evaluates the offer itself. Both are natural.

Are there other acceptable positions for knapt in the first clause?

Where should nesten go in boken er nesten utsolgt? Can I say boken er utsolgt nesten?

nesten should come right before what it modifies. Here it modifies utsolgt, so:
- Correct: boken er nesten utsolgt.
- Not standard: boken er utsolgt nesten.
Also avoid putting nesten between subject and verb here:
- Incorrect: boken nesten er utsolgt.