Kaffen er for kald nå.

The coffee is too cold now.

Breakdown of Kaffen er for kald nå.

• være: to be
• nå: now
• kaffen: the coffee
• for kald: too cold

Questions & Answers about Kaffen er for kald nå.

Why is it kaffen and not kaffe?

Kaffe is the basic form of the noun coffee (indefinite: coffee in general).
Kaffen is the definite form: the coffee (a specific coffee you and the listener know about).

• Kaffe er godt. = Coffee is good. (coffee in general)
• Kaffen er for kald nå. = The coffee is too cold now. (the particular coffee in front of you)

Norwegian usually marks definite nouns with an ending (here -en) instead of a separate word like the.

What gender is kaffe, and how do I know?

In Bokmål, kaffe is normally masculine.

You can tell by looking it up in a dictionary: it will usually show (en) kaffe.
That means:

• Singular indefinite: en kaffe
• Singular definite: kaffen

There is no reliable rule to guess gender for all nouns, so learners generally need to memorize it or check a dictionary.

What does for mean in for kald?

Here for is not the preposition for (as in for you). It is an adverb meaning too (excessively).

• for kald = too cold
• for stor = too big
• for dyr = too expensive

Compare:

• Kaffen er veldig kald. = The coffee is very cold. (strong, but not necessarily a problem)
• Kaffen er for kald. = The coffee is too cold. (this is a problem / not acceptable)

Why is it for kald and not for kaldt?

The adjective agrees with the gender of the noun it describes:

• kaffe is masculine → kald
• vann (water) is neuter → kaldt

So:

• Kaffen er (for) kald. = The coffee is (too) cold.
• Vannet er (for) kaldt. = The water is (too) cold.

You use kaldt either with a neuter noun or in an impersonal sentence like Det er for kaldt (It is too cold).

Can I also say Nå er kaffen for kald instead of Kaffen er for kald nå?

Yes. Both are correct:

• Kaffen er for kald nå.
• Nå er kaffen for kald.

Norwegian main clauses follow the verb-second rule:

• If the subject (kaffen) comes first, the verb (er) is second.
• If something else (like nå) comes first, the verb is still second, and the subject comes after the verb.

The difference is mainly one of emphasis:

• Kaffen er for kald nå. → neutral, little extra emphasis.
• Nå er kaffen for kald. → puts a bit more focus on now (it has reached that point now).

Where can I put nå in this sentence?

The most natural places:

1. At the end: Kaffen er for kald nå.
2. At the beginning: Nå er kaffen for kald.

Nå in the very middle, like Kaffen nå er for kald, is not natural standard Norwegian.

Can I just say Kaffen er kald nå without for? What is the difference?

Yes:

• Kaffen er kald nå. = The coffee is cold now. (a neutral description)
• Kaffen er for kald nå. = The coffee is too cold now. (it is colder than you want; there is a problem)

Adding for introduces the idea of too much / not acceptable.

How do I pronounce kaffen, kald, and nå?

Approximate pronunciation (standard Eastern Norwegian):

• kaffen → [ˈkɑfːən]

  • kaff- like kaf in cafe, but with a short a
  • double f → longer f sound
  • -en like a weak en

• kald → [kɑld]

  • a like a in father, but shorter
  • ld is pronounced fully [ld]

• nå → [noː]

  • long o sound, like in nor but without the r
  • the å letter is usually pronounced like a long o in English more (without the r)

Regional accents vary, but these are good target sounds.

Is for kald always negative, like a complaint?

Yes, for kald is inherently negative or at least problematic:

• for kald = too cold (colder than desired / acceptable)

So Kaffen er for kald nå almost always implies you are not happy with the temperature.
If you just want to describe it neutrally, use kald or veldig kald instead.

Can I say Kaffen er veldig kald nå instead of for kald nå?

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly:

• Kaffen er veldig kald nå. = The coffee is very cold now. (strong coldness, but not automatically a complaint)
• Kaffen er for kald nå. = The coffee is too cold now. (problem; not suitable to drink the way you want)

So veldig is about degree, while for is about exceeding a limit.

How would I say the opposite, that the coffee is too hot now?

You simply switch the adjective:

• Kaffen er for varm nå. = The coffee is too hot now.

Adjective pairs:

• kald = cold
• varm = warm / hot

How do I say The coffee was too cold (in the past)?

Change the verb er (is) to var (was):

• Kaffen var for kald. = The coffee was too cold.
• Kaffen var for kald i stad. = The coffee was too cold a moment ago.

Verb å være (to be) in the most common forms:

• er = is / am / are (present)
• var = was / were (past)
• har vært = has/have been (present perfect)

Why don’t you say den kaffen for the coffee here?

In Norwegian, the normal way to say the coffee is just:

• kaffen (with the definite ending)

You only add den when you want a stronger, more specific reference, similar to that coffee or this coffee in English:

• Den kaffen er for kald nå.
  → That (particular) coffee is too cold now.

In a neutral sentence about the coffee on the table, Kaffen er for kald nå is the natural choice.