Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Når naboene bråker, setter jeg på musikk for å blande lydene litt. - When the neighbors make noise, I put on music to mix the sounds a bit.

når is used for:
- general truths and habits:
  - Når naboene bråker, setter jeg på musikk. (Whenever the neighbours are noisy, I put on music.)
- present or future time:
  - Når du kommer hjem, spiser vi. (When you get home, we’ll eat.)
da is used for:
- one specific event in the past:
  - Da naboene bråkte i går, satte jeg på musikk. (When the neighbours were noisy yesterday, I put on music.)

In this sentence, it’s about a repeated situation/habit, so når is correct.

Why is there a comma after Når naboene bråker?

Norwegian normally puts a comma between:

a subordinate clause (leddsetning) and
the main clause (hovedsetning).

Here:

Når naboene bråker = subordinate clause (time clause)
setter jeg på musikk for å blande lydene litt = main clause

So you write:

Når naboene bråker, setter jeg på musikk …

If the subordinate clause comes after the main clause, there is usually no comma:

Jeg setter på musikk når naboene bråker.

Why is it naboene and not naboer?

naboer = neighbours (indefinite plural, some neighbours, not specified)
naboene = the neighbours (definite plural, a known group)

In this context, it’s about my neighbours – a specific, known group of people. So Norwegian uses the definite plural:

naboene = the neighbours (in my building/area)

If you said naboer, it would sound more like “when neighbours (in general) make noise”, which is less natural here.

What exactly does bråker mean? Could I say something else?

bråker is the present tense of å bråke, and it means to make noise / to be noisy / to cause a disturbance. It’s often used for annoying, disturbing noise.

Alternatives:

lager bråk – literally “make trouble/noise”; can sound a bit stronger, more like causing a disturbance or fuss.
støyer (from å støye) – also means to make a lot of noise, but is less common in everyday speech.

In normal everyday speech, bråker is the most natural:

Naboene bråker. = The neighbours are being noisy.

Why is the word order setter jeg på musikk and not jeg setter på musikk?

Norwegian has a verb-second (V2) rule in main clauses:

The finite verb (here: setter) must be the second element in the main clause.

In this sentence:

The subordinate clause Når naboene bråker is one element.
After that clause, the main clause starts, and the verb must come second:
- setter (verb)
- jeg (subject)
- på musikk (rest)

So:

Når naboene bråker, setter jeg på musikk … ✅
Når naboene bråker, jeg setter på musikk … ❌ (breaks the V2 rule)

If you start directly with the subject, you get normal order:

Jeg setter på musikk når naboene bråker.

What does the expression sette på musikk mean, and how is it different from spille musikk or skru på musikken?

sette på musikk = to put on some music, usually:
- starting a playlist, CD, Spotify, radio, etc.
- you’re choosing to have music in the background.
spille musikk = to play music
- either playing an instrument
- or DJing, playing tracks for others
- a bit more active/performative than just turning something on.
skru på musikken = to turn on the music
- more literal about twisting/pressing a button or knob on a device
- often used when the device is already set to music, and you just switch it on.

In this context, sette på musikk is the most natural: you’re choosing to start some music to cover the noise.

How does for å work here? Could I just say å blande lydene litt?

for å introduces a purpose (why you do something). It corresponds to English in order to / to (when it means purpose):

Jeg setter på musikk for å blande lydene litt.
= I put on music in order to mix the sounds a bit.

Without for, just å, it usually introduces another verb as part of the same action, not a purpose:

Jeg liker å høre på musikk. (I like to listen to music.)

So in this sentence, for å is needed because it expresses the purpose: the reason for putting on music.

Why is it lydene and not lyder?

lyder = sounds (indefinite plural)
lydene = the sounds (definite plural)

Here we are talking about two sets of specific sounds:

the noise from the neighbours
the music you turn on

These are concrete, identifiable sounds, so Norwegian naturally uses the definite form:

blande lydene litt = mix the sounds a bit (their noise + your music)

If you said blande lyder, it would be more like “mix (some) sounds” in a general, abstract way.

What is the function of litt at the end, and could it go somewhere else?

litt here means a little / a bit, and it softens the idea:

blande lydene litt = mix the sounds a bit, not completely drown them.

Position:

for å blande lydene litt – most natural and common.
for å blande lydene bare litt – “only a little”, adds more nuance.
You could technically say for å blande litt lydene, but that sounds unnatural; litt usually goes after the verb phrase here, not between verb and object.

So litt at the end is the standard, natural placement.

Does the present tense (bråker, setter) mean it’s happening right now or that it’s a habit?

Norwegian present tense is used for both:

Something happening now
- Naboene bråker. = The neighbours are being noisy (right now).
Repeated actions / habits
- Når naboene bråker, setter jeg på musikk.
  = Whenever the neighbours are noisy, I (usually) put on music.

In this sentence, the use of Når plus the simple present makes it clear it’s a habitual action, not just a one-time event.