Jeg er for trøtt i kveld.

I am too tired this evening.

Breakdown of Jeg er for trøtt i kveld.

• jeg: I
• være: to be
• i: in
• kvelden: the evening
• for trøtt: too tired

Questions & Answers about Jeg er for trøtt i kveld.

What does for trøtt mean, and how is for used here?

In this sentence, for means too.

• Jeg er for trøtt i kveld = I am too tired tonight.
• Pattern: for + adjective = too + adjective
  
  • for trøtt = too tired
  • for kald = too cold
  • for dyr = too expensive

This for is different from the preposition for that means things like for, to, about in other contexts. Here it is an adverb modifying the adjective trøtt.

Could I say Jeg er trøtt for i kveld instead?

No. For must come directly before the adjective it modifies.

Correct:

• Jeg er for trøtt i kveld.

Incorrect:

• Jeg er trøtt for i kveld. ✗

So the order is: subject + verb + for + adjective + time expression.

Why is it trøtt and not trøtte? Do adjectives change with the subject?

Norwegian adjectives do change form, but in this position (after er, describing the subject), they usually stay in the basic singular form.

• Jeg er trøtt. (I am tired.)
• Du er trøtt. (You are tired.)
• Han / hun er trøtt. (He / she is tired.)

For plural subjects, it changes:

• Vi er trøtte. (We are tired.)
• De er trøtte. (They are tired.)

So with jeg, trøtt is the correct form.

What is the difference between trøtt, sliten, and lei?

They all relate to being tired, but not in the same way:

• trøtt

  • Physically tired or sleepy.
  • Often when you want to go to bed.
  • Jeg er trøtt = I’m tired / sleepy.

• sliten

  • Worn out, exhausted, used up (physically or mentally).
  • Often after hard work or a long day.
  • Jeg er helt sliten = I’m completely worn out.

• lei

  • Fed up, bored, tired of something.
  • Jeg er lei av dette = I’m tired of this / I’ve had enough of this.

In your sentence, trøtt is natural: you are simply too tired tonight.

Why is it i kveld and not something like denne kvelden?

i kveld is the normal, idiomatic way to say tonight / this evening.

• i kveld = tonight / this evening (the coming or current evening)
• denne kvelden = this evening (more specific, often contrasting with other evenings, sounds more formal or literary in many contexts)

You would use denne kvelden more in sentences like:

• Denne kvelden kommer jeg aldri til å glemme.
  (This evening I will never forget.)

For everyday speech about tonight, use i kveld.

Does i kveld mean “this evening” or “tonight”? When do I use i kveld, i dag, i natt?

Norwegian time words are a bit different from English:

• i dag = today (daytime)
• i kveld = this evening / tonight (evening hours, before you go to bed)
• i natt = tonight / last night (during the night, when people sleep)

So:

• Jeg er for trøtt i kveld.
  I’m too tired this evening / tonight (in the evening time).
• Jeg sov dårlig i natt.
  I slept badly last night / tonight (during the night).

Could I say Jeg er veldig trøtt i kveld instead of for trøtt? What is the difference?

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly:

• Jeg er veldig trøtt i kveld.
  I am very tired tonight.
  → just describes a high degree of tiredness.

• Jeg er for trøtt i kveld.
  I am too tired tonight.
  → implies it is too much for some purpose (too tired to go out, to work, to study, etc.).

So for trøtt suggests a limit has been reached and you cannot (or do not want to) do something.

How do I say what I am too tired to do, for example “I am too tired to go out tonight”?

You add til å and an infinitive verb:

• Jeg er for trøtt til å gå ut i kveld.
  I am too tired to go out tonight.

Pattern:

• for + adjective + til å + infinitive
  • for trøtt til å jobbe = too tired to work
  • for sliten til å lage mat = too worn out to cook

Where does ikke go if I want to say “I’m not too tired tonight”?

The negation ikke normally comes after the verb er:

• Jeg er ikke for trøtt i kveld.
  I am not too tired tonight.

If you move i kveld to the front for emphasis, ikke still stays after er:

• I kveld er jeg ikke for trøtt.
  Tonight I’m not too tired.

Can I start the sentence with i kveld: I kveld er jeg for trøtt? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, this is correct, and the basic meaning is the same.

• Jeg er for trøtt i kveld.
• I kveld er jeg for trøtt.

Both mean “I am too tired tonight.”

Putting i kveld first adds a bit of emphasis on tonight (as opposed to other times), but the content is the same.

How would I put this sentence in the past or future?

You mostly change the verb er (am) and the time expression.

Past:

• Jeg var for trøtt i går kveld.
  I was too tired last night / yesterday evening.

Future (neutral, planned):

• Jeg kommer til å være for trøtt i kveld.
  I will be / am going to be too tired tonight.

In informal speech, people might also just use context:

• I går var jeg for trøtt.
  Yesterday I was too tired.
• I kveld blir jeg nok for trøtt.
  Tonight I’ll probably end up being too tired.