Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jeg sovner lett på den myke sofaen.

Jeg sovner lett på den myke sofaen.
= I (tend to) fall asleep easily on the soft sofa.
Jeg sover lett på den myke sofaen.
This would sound odd or unclear; literally “I sleep easily on the soft sofa”, which isn’t how Norwegians normally express this idea.

So sovner (present tense of å sovne) is the natural choice here.

What exactly does lett mean here, and what kind of word is it?

Lett is an adjective that means easy or light. In this sentence it is used adverbially, so it means “easily”:

Jeg sovner lett = I fall asleep easily.

In Norwegian, many adverbs are formed from adjectives by using the neuter form of the adjective, often ending in -t:

rask (quick) → raskt (quickly)
god (good) → godt (well)

For lett, the base form and the neuter/adverbial form happen to look the same (lett), so the form doesn’t change, but the function does: in this sentence it modifies the verb (sovner) and therefore behaves like an adverb.

You could also say:

Jeg sovner veldig lett på den myke sofaen.
= I fall asleep very easily on the soft sofa.

Why is it på den myke sofaen and not i den myke sofaen?

På means “on” and i means “in”.

For furniture like sofas and chairs, Norwegian usually uses på:

på sofaen = on the sofa
på stolen = on the chair

Using i sofaen would literally be “in the sofa”, which sounds like you are somehow inside the sofa (inside the cushions or structure). You might see i sofaen in some dialects or in very colloquial speech, but på sofaen is the standard and natural option in most contexts.

So på den myke sofaen is the normal way to say “on the soft sofa”.

How is the phrase den myke sofaen built grammatically? Why do we get this “double” marking of definiteness?

Den myke sofaen is a typical example of “double definiteness” in Norwegian noun phrases.

Breakdown:

sofa = sofa (indefinite)
en sofa = a sofa
sofaen = the sofa (definite, with -en ending)

Now add an adjective (myk = soft) and a demonstrative (den = that/the):

Pattern in Norwegian:
den + adjective (with -e) + definite noun

So:

den = that / the
myke = soft (adjective, definite form)
sofaen = the sofa (noun in definite form)

Together: den myke sofaen = the soft sofa / that soft sofa.

Even though it feels “double definite” (both den and -en), this is the normal grammar whenever you have:

a demonstrative (den, det, de)
and an adjective
and a definite noun

For example:

den store bilen = the big car
det gamle huset = the old house
de fine stolene = the nice chairs

Why is it myke and not myk in den myke sofaen?

Norwegian adjectives change form depending on what they describe and whether the noun is definite or indefinite.

With an indefinite singular noun:

en myk sofa = a soft sofa
(adjective in basic form: myk)

With a definite noun plus a demonstrative (den/det/de), the adjective takes -e:

den myke sofaen = the soft sofa
den store bilen = the big car
det røde huset = the red house

So myke is the definite form of the adjective myk used before a definite noun (sofaen) together with den.

Could I drop den and just say på myk sofa or på myk sofaen?

You can, but it changes the meaning or becomes ungrammatical:

på myk sofa
- This is grammatically correct.
- It means “on (a) soft sofa” in a general, indefinite sense – not referring to a specific, known sofa.
på myk sofaen
- This is ungrammatical.
- If the noun is definite (sofaen), then with an adjective you must also mark definiteness in the adjective and normally include the demonstrative:
  - på den myke sofaen (correct)
  - not på myk sofaen.
på sofaen (without adjective)
- Also correct, just “on the sofa” with no mention of it being soft.

So in the original sentence, the combination den myke sofaen is the natural way to talk about a specific soft sofa.

Is the word order fixed, or can I move lett or på den myke sofaen to other positions?

The given word order is the most neutral:

Jeg sovner lett på den myke sofaen.

But Norwegian allows some movement for emphasis or style.

Moving the place phrase to the front:
- På den myke sofaen sovner jeg lett.
  Emphasises where: “On the soft sofa I (tend to) fall asleep easily.”
Moving lett is possible but feels less natural in some positions:
- Jeg sovner på den myke sofaen lett.
  Understandable, but sounds a bit marked or poetic; neutral speech prefers lett straight after the verb here.
- Jeg lett sovner på den myke sofaen.
  This is not natural Norwegian; adverbs usually come after the finite verb in main clauses.

So, the safe, neutral choice is exactly as in the original:
Subject – verb – adverb – place
Jeg – sovner – lett – på den myke sofaen.

What does the present tense sovner express here: “right now” or “usually”?

Norwegian present tense can express both:

An action happening right now
- Jeg sovner nå. = I am falling asleep now.
A general or habitual action (like English “I do / I tend to do”)
- Jeg sovner lett på den myke sofaen.
  = I easily fall asleep on the soft sofa / I tend to fall asleep easily there.

In this sentence, with lett and no time expression like nå, it is most naturally understood as a general habit or tendency, not as something happening right at this moment.

How would this phrase change with a different noun, like a bed or plural sofas?

The pattern stays the same, but the forms adjust to gender and number.

Neuter singular (for example: et mykt teppe – a soft blanket)
- Indefinite: et mykt teppe (a soft blanket)
- Definite phrase with adjective: det myke teppet (the soft blanket)
- Sentence: Jeg sovner lett på det myke teppet.
Plural (for example: sofaer – sofas)
- Indefinite: myke sofaer (soft sofas)
- Definite plural phrase: de myke sofaene (the soft sofas)
- Sentence: Jeg sovner lett på de myke sofaene.
Another common-gender noun (for example: seng – bed)
- Indefinite: en myk seng (a soft bed)
- Definite phrase: den myke sengen (the soft bed)
- Sentence: Jeg sovner lett i den myke sengen.
  Here you would normally use i sengen (in bed), not på sengen, because you’re “in” bed rather than “on” a bed as a surface.

How do you pronounce the words in Jeg sovner lett på den myke sofaen?

Approximate pronunciation (bokmål, Eastern-style):

Jeg – often like “yai” or “yaih”; the g is silent.
sovner – roughly “SOHV-ner”
- so like so in English sofa, but a bit shorter
- v is pronounced
- ner like “nehr”
lett – like English let, but with a bit crisper t at the end.
på – like English paw, with a long å sound.
den – like English den in denim.
myke – roughly “MEW-keh”
- my like the English word mew (cat sound), rounded lips
- ke like keh
sofaen – roughly “SOH-fahn”
- so as above
- fa like “fah”
- en often reduced to a light “n” sound in speech

Spoken naturally, some sounds will blend together, and jeg may be shortened (e.g. sounding almost like “jæ”).