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Alt er stille nå.

Alt er stille nå.
Everything is quiet now.

Breakdown of Alt er stille nå.

være
to be
nå
now
stille
quiet
alt
all
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Questions & Answers about Alt er stille nå.

What does alt mean here, and is it always translated as “everything”?

In Alt er stille nå, alt is a pronoun meaning “everything”.

However, alt is not always translated literally as “everything” in English. It can also mean:

  • “all” in a more general sense:
    • Alt går bra. – “Everything is going well / It’s all going well.”
  • “the whole thing”:
    • Alt er over. – “It’s all over.”

But alt never means “everyone” (that would be alle).

What part of speech is alt, and what is its role in the sentence?

Alt is an indefinite pronoun.

In Alt er stille nå:

  • alt = subject (“everything”)
  • er = verb (“is”)
  • stille = subject complement (adjective describing alt)
  • nå = adverb (“now”)

So the structure is Subject – Verb – Complement – Adverb.

Why is it stille and not stilt, since alt is neuter?

This is a very common confusion.

Norwegian adjectives have two main uses:

  1. Attributive (before a noun):

    • et stille rom – “a quiet room” (neuter singular → stille or stilt depending on the adjective; many adjectives get a -t)
      Example with a clear -t: et grønt hus – “a green house”.

  2. Predicative (after er, blir, etc.):

    • Rommet er stille. – “The room is quiet.”
    • Alt er stille. – “Everything is quiet.”

In predicative position (after the verb er in this kind of sentence), most adjectives do not take the neuter -t ending.

So:

  • Alt er stille. ✅ (correct)
  • Alt er stilt. ❌ (wrong in this sense)
Is stille an adjective or an adverb here?

Here stille functions as an adjective, describing the state of the subject (alt).

Compare:

  • Adjective use (state):
    • Alt er stille. – “Everything is quiet.”
  • Adverb use (manner):
    • Han snakker stille. – “He speaks quietly/softly.”

Same form, but different function. In this sentence it clearly describes a state, not how something is done.

Can I say Nå er alt stille instead? Is it the same?

Yes, Nå er alt stille is also correct and natural.

The difference is word order and emphasis:

  • Alt er stille nå.
    Neutral order, slight emphasis on alt (“Everything is quiet now.”)

  • Nå er alt stille.
    Starts with nå → more focus on the time / situation now, like “Now, everything is quiet.”

Both are common. Which you choose depends on what you want to emphasize: the time now or everything.

Could I say Alt er nå stille?

Yes, Alt er nå stille is grammatically possible, but it:

  • sounds more formal or poetic/literary,
  • puts nå closer to the adjective stille, so it can sound like “…is now quiet” with a bit more emphasis on the change of state.

In everyday spoken Norwegian, people usually say:

  • Alt er stille nå.
    or
  • Nå er alt stille.
What is the exact nuance of nå here?

Nå means “now”, but the nuance often includes:

  • a contrast with an earlier time:
    It suggests that things were not quiet before, but now they are.
  • a current situation / moment:
    You’re talking about the state at this moment.

So Alt er stille nå is often understood as “Everything is quiet now (as opposed to earlier).”

How do you pronounce Alt er stille nå?

In standard East Norwegian:

  • Alt → [alt]
    • clear a (like in father, but shorter), l and t are pronounced.
  • er → [ær] or [eːr] (often short [ær] in everyday speech)
  • stille → [ˈstɪlːə]
    • stress on sti–,
    • double l means a longer l sound,
    • final e is a short, reduced vowel (schwa-like).
  • nå → [noː]
    • long o (similar to English no, but without the ending w glide).

Phrase-level:

  • Stress typically on ALT and STILle (and often a lighter stress on NÅ):
    ALT er STILle nå.
What’s the difference between alt and alle?

  • alt = everything (neuter, non‑person things, abstract “all”)

    • Alt er stille. – “Everything is quiet.”
    • Alt er klart. – “Everything is ready/clear.”

  • alle = everyone / all (people or countable items)

    • Alle er stille. – “Everyone is quiet.”
    • Alle barna sover. – “All the children are sleeping.”

So:

  • Talking about things / the situation in general → alt
  • Talking about people / countable individuals → alle
Can stille also mean “still” in the sense of “not moving”?

Yes. Stille can mean:

  1. Quiet / silent – no noise:

    • Alt er stille. – “Everything is quiet.”

  2. Still / motionless – no movement:

    • Stå stille! – “Stand still!”
    • Vannet er helt stille. – “The water is completely still.”

In Alt er stille nå, context usually suggests quiet/silent, but it could also include the idea that nothing is moving or happening.

Can I strengthen the sentence like “Everything is completely quiet now”?

Yes, common intensifiers are:

  • helt – completely, totally

    • Alt er helt stille nå. – “Everything is completely quiet now.”

  • så – so (like “so quiet”)

    • Alt er så stille nå. – “Everything is so quiet now.”

  • fullstendig – fully, completely (more formal)

    • Alt er fullstendig stille nå.

Alt er helt stille nå is very natural and frequently used.

Is this present tense er used only for right now, or can it express a general state?

The verb er (to be) in Norwegian present tense can express:

  1. Current / temporary state:

    • Alt er stille nå. – “Everything is quiet now (at this moment).”

  2. General / permanent characteristics:

    • Vinteren er kald i Norge. – “Winter is cold in Norway.”

So in this sentence, er most likely describes the state at the moment, especially because of nå, but grammatically it can also be used for general truths in other contexts.