Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Barna klager over været i dag. - The children complain about the weather today.

Barna = the children
- barn = child/children
- -a = the (definite plural here)
klager = complain / are complaining (present tense of å klage)
over = about / over (here: about)
været = the weather
- vær = weather (neuter noun)
- -et = the (definite singular for many neuter nouns)
i dag = today (literally in day)

Word order:

Norwegian: [Subject] [Verb] [Other parts]
- Barna klager over været i dag.
English: [Subject] [Auxiliary] [Verb‑ing] [Other parts]
- The children are complaining about the weather today.

Norwegian doesn’t need an auxiliary verb (are); the simple present klager can cover both complain and are complaining depending on context.

Why is it barna and not just barn?

Barn is a special noun:

barn = child or children (same form for singular and plural base)
To say the child → barnet
To say the children → barna

So:

barn = child / children
barnet = the child
barna = the children

In this sentence, Barna clearly means “the children”, so the form barna (definite plural) is required.

Why is it været and not just vær?

Vær is a neuter noun meaning weather.

vær = weather (indefinite singular)
været = the weather (definite singular)

In Norwegian, weather is almost always talked about with the definite form, just like English often uses the weather:

Været er fint. = The weather is nice.
Barna klager over været i dag. = The children complain about the weather today.

So været is simply “the weather.”

What tense is klager, and why isn’t there a separate word like are (as in “are complaining”)?

Klager is the present tense of the verb å klage (to complain).

Norwegian uses the same present tense form for:

English simple present:
- Barna klager. = The children complain.
English present continuous:
- Barna klager. = The children are complaining.

There is no separate auxiliary verb like are in Norwegian. Context decides whether you translate klager as complain or are complaining.

Conjugation of å klage:

å klage = to complain
jeg klager = I complain / I am complaining
du klager = you complain / you are complaining
han/hun klager = he/she complains / is complaining
vi/de klager = we/they complain / are complaining

Why do we use over after klager? Can you also say klager på or klager om?

In this meaning, klage (over) is the most natural and standard:

å klage over noe = to complain about something
- Barna klager over været. = The children complain about the weather.

You will also see:

å klage på noe/noen
- Often closer to to complain about / against something/someone in the sense of blaming or criticizing, sometimes even to file a complaint against.
- Han klaget på maten. = He complained about the food.
- De klaget på naboen. = They filed/raised a complaint about the neighbour.
å klage om is not used in this sense.

For everyday “moaning” about something like the weather, klager over været is very natural. Klager på været can also occur in speech, but over is the safest and most neutral choice here.

Could the sentence word order be different, like putting i dag earlier?

Yes, the time expression i dag can move, but Norwegian must still respect verb‑second (the verb usually stays in second position in main clauses).

All of these are possible:

Barna klager over været i dag.
- Neutral, common: The children are complaining about the weather today.
I dag klager barna over været.
- Emphasis on today; literally: Today, the children complain about the weather.
Barna klager i dag over været.
- Also possible, but sounds a bit more marked; the most natural is usually (1) or (2).

Note how in (2), when i dag comes first, klager must stay in second position:

I dag (element 1)
klager (verb, element 2)
barna (subject comes after the verb)

How would I make this sentence a yes/no question in Norwegian?

To make a yes/no question, Norwegian normally moves the verb in front of the subject:

Statement: Barna klager over været i dag.
Question: Klager barna over været i dag?
= Are the children complaining about the weather today?

So the pattern is:

[Verb] [Subject] [Rest of sentence]?

Examples:

Spiser barna nå? = Are the children eating now?
Liker barna været? = Do the children like the weather?

Is there any difference in meaning between Barna klager over været i dag and something like Barna synes været er dårlig i dag?

Yes, there is a nuance:

Barna klager over været i dag.
- Focus on the complaining behavior. They are whining or moaning about the weather.
Barna synes været er dårlig i dag.
- Focus on their opinion: they think the weather is bad today, but it doesn’t necessarily say they’re actively complaining.

Other natural alternatives:

Barna er misfornøyde med været i dag.
= The children are dissatisfied with the weather today.
Barna liker ikke været i dag.
= The children don’t like the weather today.

So klager over specifically highlights that they are complaining.

How do you pronounce barna klager over været i dag?

Approximate pronunciation (Standard East Norwegian, rough English hints):

barna ≈ BAR-nah
klager ≈ KLAH-ger (g like in go)
over ≈ OO-ver (first vowel like English o in more, but a bit shorter)
været ≈ VÆH-re
- æ like a in cat or bad
- The final t is often very soft or not clearly released in many dialects.
i ≈ ee in see
dag ≈ dahg (often g is weak or almost gone: daah)

Very rough IPA‑style:

[ˈbɑ̀ːɳɑ ˈklɑ̀ːɡər ˈuːvər ˈvæ̀ːrə i ˈdɑːɡ]

The exact sound varies by region, but this gives you a workable approximation.

Why is vær spelled with æ, and does that change the meaning compared to var (past of “to be”)?

Yes, vær and var are completely different words:

vær (noun) = weather
var (verb) = was / were (past tense of å være = to be)

Spelling with æ changes both sound and meaning:

vær: æ as in English bad
var: a like the a in father (in many accents)

In your sentence, været (from vær) clearly refers to the weather, not the past tense of to be.