Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Sjefen krever et klart svar.

The basic noun is sjef = boss / manager.
Norwegian often marks definiteness (the word the) by adding an ending to the noun instead of putting a separate word in front.
For most common‑gender nouns (the ones that take en as the indefinite article), the definite singular ending is -en.

So:

en sjef = a boss (indefinite)
sjefen = the boss (definite)

There is no separate the in front: you don’t say den sjefen in a simple sentence like this.

Why is it et klart svar and not en klart svar or et klar svar?

There are two issues here: noun gender/article and adjective agreement.

Gender and article:
- svar (answer) is a neuter noun in Norwegian.
- Neuter nouns take the indefinite article et, not en.
- So you must say et svar = an answer, never en svar.
Adjective agreement:
- The adjective is klar = clear.
- In front of an indefinite neuter singular noun, adjectives usually take a -t ending.
- So:
  - en klar plan (common gender, no -t)
  - et klart svar (neuter, add -t)

That’s why the correct form is et klart svar.

What form of the verb is krever, and how is this verb conjugated?

Krever is the present tense of the verb å kreve (to demand, to require).

A simple conjugation:

Infinitive: å kreve = to demand / require
Present: krever = demand(s) / require(s)
- Sjefen krever et klart svar.
Past (preterite): krevde = demanded / required
- Sjefen krevde et klart svar.
Present perfect: har krevd = has demanded / has required
- Sjefen har krevd et klart svar.

In the present tense, the pattern -e → -er is very common in Norwegian verbs.

Does krever mean demands or requires? Is it very strong?

Krever covers both demands and requires, and the nuance depends on context.

Strong / demanding sense (like “demands”)
- Sjefen krever et klart svar.
  → The boss is insisting on a clear answer; it sounds fairly firm and authoritative.
Neutral / technical sense (like “requires”)
- Jobben krever erfaring.
  → The job requires experience.
- Det krever mye tid.
  → It requires a lot of time.

So krever can sound strong when used about people’s behavior (demand), and more neutral when used about conditions and necessities (require).

Why is the word order Sjefen krever et klart svar? Could I move things around?

The sentence uses the standard subject–verb–object word order:

Sjefen (subject)
krever (verb)
et klart svar (object)

This is the neutral way to say it.

Some common variations:

Yes/no question (inversion of subject and verb):
- Krever sjefen et klart svar?
  → Does the boss demand a clear answer?
Emphasis on the object (still grammatical, but marked):
- Et klart svar krever sjefen.
  This is possible but sounds stylized or poetic; everyday speech normally keeps Sjefen krever et klart svar.

So, for a normal statement, keep subject – verb – object: Sjefen krever et klart svar.

Why is there no separate word for the before sjefen?

Norwegian usually marks definiteness with an ending on the noun, not a separate word like English the.

en sjef = a boss
sjefen = the boss

So the -en ending on sjefen already means the.
You don’t add another the in front; den sjefen would usually mean that boss (with a slightly different nuance) rather than just the boss in a neutral way.

How would I say The boss demands clear answers in the plural?

You mainly need to change the adjective to plural; the noun svar stays the same in plural.

Sjefen krever klare svar.
- klare = plural form of klar
- svar = answer / answers (same form in singular and plural)

Patterns:

Singular indefinite:
- et klart svar = a clear answer
Plural indefinite:
- klare svar = clear answers

So the plural sentence is: Sjefen krever klare svar.

Can I use svar without an article, and what does that change?

Yes. Omitting the article makes the meaning more general or non‑specific.

et klart svar = a clear answer (one specific answer)
klare svar = clear answers (some number of answers)
klare svar (in context, often still plural, but more general: “clear answers as a type”)

In a sentence like this, if you just say:

Sjefen krever klart svar.

it sounds a bit odd; you normally want et klart svar or klare svar. For countable things like svar, using an article (or a clear plural form) is the default in concrete statements like this one.

Why is the adjective klart and not klare or klar here?

Norwegian adjectives change form depending on gender, number, and definiteness.

For klar:

Common gender, singular, indefinite:
- en klar beskjed = a clear message
Neuter, singular, indefinite:
- et klart svar = a clear answer
Plural (all genders), indefinite:
- klare svar = clear answers

Our noun svar is neuter singular indefinite, so we need the neuter singular form of the adjective: klart (with -t).

That’s why it is et klart svar.

How would I say this in the past tense: The boss demanded a clear answer?

You only need to change the verb to past tense:

Sjefen krevde et klart svar.
- krevde = past tense of krever

Everything else (articles, noun, adjective agreement) stays the same:

Sjefen (the boss)
krevde (demanded)
et klart svar (a clear answer)

How do you pronounce Sjefen krever et klart svar?

Approximate pronunciation in a neutral Eastern Norwegian accent:

Sjefen ≈ SHEH-fen
- sj like English sh
- stress on the first syllable: SJEF-en
krever ≈ KREH-ver (or KREH-vær depending on dialect)
- r is tapped/trilled
et ≈ et (short, like et in “get” without the g)
klart ≈ klart
- kl as in cl in “clap”
- a like in British English “father”
- final rt often merges to a single retroflex sound
svar ≈ svahr
- sv pronounced together, a as in “father”, trilled/tapped r

All together: roughly SHEH-fen KREH-ver et klart svahr (with Norwegian r and vowels).