Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jeg vet ikke helt hvordan strømmetjenesten fungerer, men barna forklarer det. - I don't really know how the streaming service works, but the children explain it.

ikke helt = not completely / not entirely / not quite
It suggests:
- you have some idea, but not a full understanding, or
- you’re being modest/polite about your knowledge.

So:

Jeg vet ikke hvordan strømmetjenesten fungerer.
= I don’t know how the streaming service works. (sounds more absolute)
Jeg vet ikke helt hvordan strømmetjenesten fungerer.
= I don’t quite know / I don’t fully know how the streaming service works.

Why is the word order “Jeg vet ikke helt” and not something like “Jeg ikke vet helt”?

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the verb must be in second position.

In Jeg vet ikke helt:

Jeg = subject, first position
vet = conjugated verb, second position
ikke helt = negation + adverb, come after the verb

You cannot put ikke before the main verb in a normal statement:

✅ Jeg vet ikke helt.
❌ Jeg ikke vet helt.

The same applies if you start with something other than the subject; the verb still comes second:

I dag vet jeg ikke helt …
(Today I don’t quite know …)

Why is the word order “hvordan strømmetjenesten fungerer” and not “hvordan fungerer strømmetjenesten”?

This part is a subordinate clause (embedded question) introduced by hvordan (how).

In Norwegian subordinate clauses, the usual order is:

Subject – other elements – Verb (towards the end)

So:

hvordan strømmetjenesten fungerer
- strømmetjenesten = subject
- fungerer = verb at the end

If it were a direct question, you would use V2 and switch the order:

Hvordan fungerer strømmetjenesten?
(How does the streaming service work?)

So:

Embedded/indirect question: … hvordan strømmetjenesten fungerer
Direct question: Hvordan fungerer strømmetjenesten?

Why is it “strømmetjenesten” and not “en strømmetjeneste”?

strømmetjenesten is the definite form: the streaming service.

en strømmetjeneste = a streaming service (indefinite)
strømmetjenesten = the streaming service (definite)

In this sentence, the speaker is referring to a specific streaming service that both speaker and listener presumably know (e.g. Netflix, Spotify, or the one they have at home), so the definite form is natural.

What does “strømmetjenesten” tell me about gender and number?

strømmetjenesten can be broken down:

strømme = to stream
tjeneste = service
Together: strømmetjeneste (streaming service)
en strømmetjeneste → indefinite singular
strømmetjenesten → definite singular

Because the article is en, strømmetjeneste is a masculine noun in standard Bokmål.

Plural forms:

strømmetjenester = streaming services
strømmetjenestene = the streaming services

What does “fungerer” mean exactly, and is it different from “virker”?

fungerer comes from å fungere, meaning:

to function, to work (how something operates or is structured)

In everyday speech:

Hvordan fungerer strømmetjenesten?
= How does the streaming service work / how is it set up?

virker (from å virke) also means to work, but it has two main uses:

to function (often more technical/practical)
- PC-en virker ikke. – The PC doesn’t work.
to seem, to appear
- Han virker trøtt. – He seems tired.

In this sentence, fungerer fits well because we are talking about how the system/service operates.

Why do we need “det” in “barna forklarer det”? Can we omit it?

In Norwegian, you normally need an object for forklare (to explain).

forklare noe (til noen) = explain something (to someone)

Here, det refers back to hvordan strømmetjenesten fungerer – the whole “how it works” idea.

barna forklarer det
= the kids explain it (i.e. how the streaming service works)

You cannot drop det in standard Norwegian:

✅ Barna forklarer det.
❌ Barna forklarer. (feels incomplete: The kids explain… what?)

What exactly does “barna” mean? Is it “children” or “my children”?

barna is the definite plural form of barn (child; plural children).

et barn = a child
barn = children
barna = the children

In context, barna often means “our kids / my kids” when spoken by parents, even though literally it is just “the children”. The possessive (my/our) is understood from context, not expressed.

So barna forklarer det can naturally be understood as:

the kids explain it
(often: my/our kids explain it)

What is the role of “men” here, and do I always put a comma before it?

men means “but”, introducing a contrast.

First clause: Jeg vet ikke helt hvordan strømmetjenesten fungerer
= I don’t quite know how it works
Second clause: men barna forklarer det
= but the kids explain it

In writing, Norwegian normally uses a comma before “men” when it connects two main clauses, as here:

…, men barna forklarer det.

If men connects smaller elements (not full clauses), a comma is not required:

Jeg liker kaffe men ikke te.
(Some writers still use a comma; practice varies a bit.)

Why is the negation “ikke” placed where it is, both in the main clause and in the subordinate clause?

In the main clause:

Jeg vet ikke helt …
- vet = verb in second position
- ikke = negation, comes after the conjugated verb
- helt = adverb, modifies ikke / the degree of knowing

Pattern: Subject – Verb – ikke – (other stuff)

In the subordinate clause, there is actually no negation. But if we added it:

Jeg vet ikke helt hvordan strømmetjenesten ikke fungerer.
(I don’t quite know how the streaming service does not work. – strange, but grammatical)

In subordinate clauses, ikke usually comes before the main verb:

… at jeg ikke vet
… fordi han ikke kan komme
… hvordan den ikke fungerer

So:

Main clause: Verb – ikke
Subordinate clause: … ikke [verb]

Is “helt” necessary, and what nuance does it add compared to just “Jeg vet ikke hvordan …”?

helt means “completely / entirely / totally”.

Jeg vet ikke hvordan strømmetjenesten fungerer.
- More absolute: you don’t know how it works.
Jeg vet ikke helt hvordan strømmetjenesten fungerer.
- Softer: you kind of know, or you’re partly unsure.
- Similar to: I don’t really / don’t quite know how …

So helt is not grammatically necessary, but it changes the tone from a strong “I don’t know” to a more modest/partial “I don’t fully know”.

Could I say “Jeg forstår ikke helt hvordan strømmetjenesten fungerer” instead of “Jeg vet ikke helt …”? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say:

Jeg forstår ikke helt hvordan strømmetjenesten fungerer.

The difference:

å vite = to know (facts, information)
å forstå = to understand (to grasp the logic, meaning, mechanism)

Nuance:

Jeg vet ikke helt …
- You lack the information; you don’t know.
Jeg forstår ikke helt …
- You might have some information, but you don’t fully grasp how it fits together.

In casual speech, both are often used almost interchangeably in this kind of sentence.