Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jeg vil begrense skjermtid om kvelden. - I want to limit screen time in the evening.

It can sometimes be translated as “will,” but that easily sounds like a simple future tense in English, which Norwegian doesn’t have in the same way. The core idea is desire/intention, not a neutral future prediction.

Why is it vil begrense and not vil å begrense? Don’t infinitives usually take å?

Norwegian has two patterns with infinitives:

Modal verbs + bare infinitive (no å):
- vil begrense (want to limit)
- kan lese (can read)
- må gå (must go)
- skal kjøpe (shall / going to buy)
Other verbs + å + infinitive:
- liker å lese (like to read)
- prøver å sove (try to sleep)

Vil is a modal verb, so it is followed directly by the infinitive begrense without å.
So Jeg vil begrense … is correct; Jeg vil å begrense … is wrong.

Why is it begrense and not begrenser?

Begrense is the infinitive (“to limit”), and begrenser is the present tense (“limits / is limiting”).

With modal verbs like vil, you must use the infinitive after them:

Jeg begrenser skjermtid. – I limit screen time.
Jeg vil begrense skjermtid. – I want to limit screen time.

So after vil, you keep begrense in the infinitive. Jeg vil begrenser is ungrammatical.

Why is skjermtid written as one word?

Norwegian forms compound nouns by writing them as a single word:

skjerm (screen) + tid (time) → skjermtid (screen time)
hånd (hand) + veske (bag) → håndveske (handbag)
sol (sun) + briller (glasses) → solbriller (sunglasses)

So skjermtid literally = “screen time” and is treated as one noun, not two separate words.

Why isn’t there an article, like skjermtiden or en skjermtid?

In Jeg vil begrense skjermtid om kvelden, skjermtid is used like an uncountable / mass noun, similar to English “sugar,” “water,” “time.”

English: “I want to reduce sugar.” (not “the sugar”)
Norwegian: Jeg vil redusere sukker.

Same idea:

Jeg vil begrense skjermtid.
= I want to limit (my) screen time (in general).

You might use the definite form skjermtiden if you mean very specific, already-known screen time:

Jeg vil begrense skjermtiden min om kvelden.
= I want to limit my (specific) screen time in the evening.

But for a general habit or general amount, the bare form skjermtid is most natural.

Why is it kvelden and not just kveld?

Kveld = evening (indefinite)
Kvelden = the evening (definite)

However, in time expressions like this, the definite form is used to talk about a general, repeated time of day:

om morgenen – in the mornings / in the morning
om dagen – during the day / in the daytime
om kvelden – in the evening(s)
om natten – at night

So om kvelden literally is “in the evening” but usually means “in the evenings” as a habit. Using just kveld here (om kveld) would be wrong.

What’s the difference between om kvelden, i kveld, and på kvelden?

They all involve the evening, but with different nuances:

om kvelden
- Habitual / general: “in the evenings”
- A routine or repeated situation.
- Jeg vil begrense skjermtid om kvelden.
  = I want to limit screen time in the evenings (as a rule).
i kveld
- One specific evening: “this evening / tonight.”
- Jeg vil begrense skjermtid i kveld.
  = I want to limit screen time tonight (just this evening).
på kvelden / på kveldene
- Also used for “in the evening(s),” often more colloquial or regional:
  - på kvelden – in the evening (often generic)
  - på kveldene – in the evenings (explicitly plural/habitual)
- You might hear: Jeg pleier å trene på kveldene. – I usually work out in the evenings.

In your sentence, om kvelden is a very standard way to express a regular habit in the evenings.

Does om here mean the same as “about,” like in “snakke om noe”?

No. Om is a very flexible preposition with several meanings. Two common ones:

about / concerning
- Vi snakker om filmen. – We are talking about the movie.
around / during / in (time expressions)
- om morgenen – in the morning(s)
- om sommeren – in the summer(s)
- om kvelden – in the evening(s)

In om kvelden, om has meaning (2): “during / in (the evenings)”, not “about.”

Can I move om kvelden earlier in the sentence, like Jeg vil om kvelden begrense skjermtid?

You can, but it sounds a bit marked or stylistic. The most natural orders are:

Jeg vil begrense skjermtid om kvelden.
Om kvelden vil jeg begrense skjermtid. (focus on “in the evenings”)

Putting the time adverbial between vil and begrense is grammatically possible, but less common in neutral speech:

Jeg vil om kvelden begrense skjermtid. – sounds formal or slightly awkward in everyday conversation.

So for normal usage, keep:
Jeg vil begrense skjermtid om kvelden.

Could I use skal instead of vil? What’s the difference between Jeg vil and Jeg skal here?

Both are possible, but with different nuances:

Jeg vil begrense skjermtid om kvelden.
- Focus on desire/intention:
  “I want to / I intend to limit screen time in the evenings.”
Jeg skal begrense skjermtid om kvelden.
- More like a plan, decision, or obligation:
  “I’m going to limit screen time in the evenings” /
  “I will (for sure) limit screen time in the evenings.”

Vil = what you want / intend.
Skal = what you are going to do / are supposed to do (plan, promise, schedule, obligation).

In a context of a personal goal or wish, vil is very natural.

How do you pronounce jeg, skjermtid, and kvelden?

Approximate pronunciation (standard East Norwegian):

jeg – usually like “yai” (IPA: /jæi/ or /jɛi/). In some dialects closer to “je”.
skjermtid – roughly “SHERM-teed”
- skj → “sh” sound (like “shoe”)
- erm → like English “airm” in “germ,” but shorter
- tid → “teed” (long i, final d often soft or almost silent)
kvelden – roughly “KVEL-len”
- kv → like “kv” in “kvetch” (k + v together)
- e → short e, like “e” in “bed”
- ld → often pronounced more like “ll” in standard speech
- final -en = “en” (definite ending)

So the whole sentence could be approximated as:
“Yai vil begrense SHERM-teed om KVEL-len.”