Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Han skriver anonymt på nettet. - He writes anonymously on the internet.

anonym = anonymous (adjective, describing a noun)
- en anonym mann = an anonymous man
anonymt = anonymously (adverb, describing a verb)
- Han skriver anonymt = He writes anonymously

Here, anonymt describes how he writes, so the neuter/adverb form with -t is used.

Why do we say på nettet instead of just nett or nettet on its own?

nett means net, and nettet literally means the net. In this context, nettet refers to the internet.

The preposition på (“on”) is typically used with nett in this meaning:

på nettet = on the internet / online

Just saying nettet without på would sound incomplete here, because in Norwegian you normally need the preposition for this expression of “on the internet.”

Is på nettet the same as på internett?

Yes, in everyday Norwegian på nettet and på internett are used with essentially the same meaning: “on the internet / online.”

på nettet – very common, a bit shorter and more colloquial
på internett – also correct, slightly more explicit/formal

Most native speakers say på nettet in casual speech.

Can I change the word order to Han skriver på nettet anonymt?

You can say Han skriver på nettet anonymt, and Norwegians will understand you. It’s not grammatically wrong, but it sounds a bit less natural and slightly marked.

Typical, neutral order is:

Han skriver anonymt på nettet.

Adverbs like anonymt that describe the manner of the action often come right after the verb. The place expression (på nettet) then comes later.

How would I say “He is writing anonymously on the internet (right now)” in Norwegian? Is Han skriver present simple or continuous?

Norwegian usually uses one present tense for both:

Han skriver anonymt på nettet.
= He writes anonymously on the internet
= He is writing anonymously on the internet (right now).

Context tells you whether it’s a general habit or something happening right now. Norwegian doesn’t normally distinguish with a separate continuous form like English does.

Why is it Han skriver and not something like Han er å skrive or Han er skriver?

Norwegian does not form the present continuous with “to be” + -ing the way English does.

You do not say: Han er å skrive or Han er skriver. (both are wrong)
You just use the simple present verb form: Han skriver.

So Han skriver covers both:

He writes (habitual)
He is writing (right now)

What does skriver literally mean, and what is its base form?

skriver is the present tense of the verb å skrive:

å skrive = to write
skriver = write / writes / is writing

So:

Han skriver = He writes / He is writing.

Could I drop Han and just say Skriver anonymt på nettet?

In normal, complete sentences, you must include the subject pronoun:

Han skriver anonymt på nettet. ✅

Dropping Han (Skriver anonymt på nettet) is only natural in very specific contexts, such as:

note-taking, headlines, or chat-style fragments
when the subject is extremely clear from context and you are being very informal

In standard written Norwegian, keep Han.

Is nett a neuter noun? Why does it become nettet?

Yes, nett is a neuter noun (et nett).

Indefinite singular: et nett = a net
Definite singular: nettet = the net

In this sentence, nettet is used in the definite form and refers idiomatically to the internet:

på nettet = on the (internet) net → on the internet

Could I say Han skriver anonym på nettet without the -t?

No, Han skriver anonym på nettet is incorrect in standard Norwegian.

You need the adverb form anonymt because it modifies the verb (how he writes), not a noun.

Correct: Han skriver anonymt på nettet. ✅
Incorrect: Han skriver anonym på nettet. ❌