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Jeg håper at tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr.

Jeg håper at tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr.
I hope that the dental treatment will not be too expensive.
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Questions & Answers about Jeg håper at tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr.

Why is at used after håper? Is it like “that” in English?

Yes. at is a subordinating conjunction that works like English “that”:

  • Jeg håper at tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr.
    = I hope *that the dental treatment doesn’t become / won’t be too expensive.*

Just like in English, “that” is often optional:

  • Jeg håper tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr.
    (perfectly natural, especially in speech)

So:

  • håper at … = hope that …
  • at can be dropped in many everyday sentences, but keeping it is never wrong.
Why is the word order “tannbehandlingen ikke blir” and not “tannbehandlingen blir ikke”?

Because this is a subordinate clause introduced by at.

Rule of thumb:

  • Main clause: verb is in 2nd position, and ikke usually comes after the finite verb.
    • Tannbehandlingen blir ikke for dyr.
  • Subordinate clause (after at, fordi, hvis, etc.): ikke comes before the finite verb.
    • … at tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr.

So the pattern in a clause with at is:

at + subject + ikke + finite verb + …
at tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr

Why is it blir and not er? In English I’d say “is (too expensive)” or “will be (too expensive)”.

Norwegian bli means “become / turn out / end up (being)”, and it’s very commonly used to talk about future or eventual outcome:

  • Tannbehandlingen blir for dyr.
    = The dental treatment ends up / turns out / will be too expensive.

If you say:

  • Tannbehandlingen er for dyr.
    you’re talking more about its current state (as if you already know the price and are judging it now).

With håper, you’re talking about a future or unknown result, so blir is more natural:

  • Jeg håper at tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr.
    = I hope the treatment won’t be / doesn’t end up being too expensive.
Why is it tannbehandlingen (with -en) and not just tannbehandling?

The -en ending makes the noun definite (“the …”), like a built-in article.

  • tannbehandling = dental treatment (in general)
  • tannbehandlingen = the dental treatment (a specific one we both know about)

In this sentence, the speaker is clearly referring to a specific, upcoming treatment (for example, the visit you’ve booked), so Norwegian prefers the definite form:

  • Jeg håper at tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr.
    = I hope the (planned) dental treatment won’t be too expensive.
How is tannbehandlingen formed? Is it one word or two?

It’s one compound noun with a definite ending:

  • tann = tooth
  • behandling = treatment
  • tannbehandling = dental treatment
  • tannbehandlingen = the dental treatment (definite, singular)

In Norwegian, compounds are written as one word, and the definite ending (-en / -et / -a) is added to the last part of the compound:

  • barnerom → barnerommet (the children’s room)
  • tannbehandling → tannbehandlingen (the dental treatment)
What does for dyr mean exactly? Is it “too expensive” or just “very expensive”?

for before an adjective usually means “too (much)” in a negative, “more than desirable” way.

  • for dyr = too expensive (more than I can or want to pay)
  • veldig dyr / svært dyr = very expensive (just describing high price, not necessarily unacceptable)

So:

  • Jeg håper at tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr.
    = I hope the treatment doesn’t become *too expensive (i.e., more than I can afford).*
Could I say “Jeg håper tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr” without at? Does the word order change?

Yes, you can drop at here, and the word order stays the same:

  • Jeg håper at tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr.
  • Jeg håper tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr.

In spoken Norwegian, many people leave out at after common verbs like:

  • jeg tror (at) … – I think (that) …
  • jeg vet (at) … – I know (that) …
  • jeg håper (at) … – I hope (that) …

But even when at is omitted, the following clause is still treated like a subordinate clause, so you keep:

subject + ikke + verb
tannbehandlingen ikke blir …

Could we say “Jeg håper at tannbehandlingen ikke vil/skal bli for dyr” to talk about the future?

You can say that, but it’s usually not necessary, and often sounds heavier or more formal.

Natural options:

  • Jeg håper at tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr.
  • Jeg håper tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr.

Adding vil or skal:

  • … ikke vil bli for dyr – can sound more like a prediction or possibility.
  • … ikke skal bli for dyr – can sound like a plan or intention.

In everyday speech, blir alone usually covers the idea “will be / ends up being.” So the original sentence is the most typical.

Is tannbehandling the only word for “dental treatment”? How is it different from tannlege?

They’re different:

  • tannbehandling = dental treatment / dental work (the procedure itself)
  • tannlegen = the dentist (the person)
  • tannlege = a dentist (profession)

So:

  • Jeg skal til tannlegen.
    = I’m going to the dentist.
  • Jeg skal få tannbehandling.
    = I’m going to get dental treatment.

In Jeg håper at tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr, you are talking about the treatment, not the dentist.

Can I move ikke to say “Jeg håper at ikke tannbehandlingen blir for dyr”?

Yes, that’s also grammatically correct, but it changes the emphasis a bit.

  • … at tannbehandlingen ikke blir for dyr.
    = neutral, standard word order.
  • … at ikke tannbehandlingen blir for dyr.
    = slight emphasis on “not the *treatment (that) becomes too expensive”* — for example, contrasting it with something else that might be expensive.

For a neutral, everyday sentence, tannbehandlingen ikke blir is the usual choice.