Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Noen av innvandrerne sier at god integrering tar tid, men at språket hjelper mye. - Some of the immigrants say that good integration takes time, but that the language helps a lot.

«noen» on its own means “some”:
- Noen innvandrere sier … = Some immigrants say … (just an unspecified subset of all immigrants, in general).
«noen av» means “some of” and normally refers to a specific group previously known or implied:
- Noen av innvandrerne sier … = Some of the immigrants say … (from a particular group we have in mind, for example in this town, in this study, etc.).

So «noen av innvandrerne» suggests we’re talking about a specific group of immigrants already known from context, and then singling out some of them.

Why is it «innvandrerne» (definite plural) and not just «innvandrere»?

In Norwegian, when you say «noen av» + a noun, that noun is typically in the definite plural form:

noen av innvandrerne = some of the immigrants
noen av bøkene = some of the books
noen av studentene = some of the students

Grammar pattern:

noen av + (de) + definite plural
e.g. noen av de unge mennene, noen av barna

If you said «noen innvandrere» (indefinite plural), it would be some immigrants in a more general sense, not some of the immigrants from a particular known group.

Could I say «Noen innvandrere sier …» instead? How would that change the meaning?

Yes, you can say:

Noen innvandrere sier at god integrering tar tid, men at språket hjelper mye.

This is fully correct, but the nuance changes:

Noen innvandrere = some immigrants (in general)
Noen av innvandrerne = some of the immigrants (from a specific group)

If the context is a particular group (for example, the immigrants in this city or the immigrants interviewed in this article), «noen av innvandrerne» fits better because it clearly refers back to that specific set.

Why is «god integrering» using «god» (common-gender form) instead of «godt» (neuter)?

Adjectives in Norwegian agree with the gender and number of the noun they describe:

god for common-gender singular nouns (en-words)
godt for neuter singular nouns (et-words)
gode for plural or definite forms

Integrering is a noun: (en) integrering (common gender).
Therefore, the correct form is:

en god integrering = a good integration

If it were a neuter noun, you’d use godt:

et godt språk = a good language

So «god integrering» is correct because «integrering» behaves as an en-word.

What exactly does «integrering» mean, and how is it different from «integrasjon»?

Both relate to integration, but they’re used a bit differently:

integrering
- A verbal noun derived from å integrere (to integrate).
- Often used about the process of integrating people into society, especially in public discourse:
  - god integrering = good integration (process)
  - tiltak for integrering = measures for integration
integrasjon
- A more abstract or technical noun, often used in academic, economic, or technical contexts:
  - økonomisk integrasjon = economic integration
  - europeisk integrasjon = European integration

In the context of immigrants and society, «integrering» is the most natural and common choice.

Why is the clause «at god integrering tar tid» worded like that? What’s going on with the word order?

«at» introduces a subordinate clause (a “that”-clause). In Norwegian:

In main clauses, the verb is usually in second position (V2):
- Integrering tar tid. = Integration takes time.
  (Subject Integrering, verb tar.)
In subordinate clauses introduced by «at», the word order is:
- Subject – Verb – (Other elements)
  So:
- at god integrering tar tid = that good integration takes time
  (Subject god integrering, verb tar.)

You can’t move the verb to second place after another element like you often can in a main clause introduced by a fronted adverb. In «at»-clauses, you keep the straight S–V order.

Why is «at» repeated: «sier at … men at språket hjelper mye»? Can you leave out the second «at»?

Norwegian often repeats «at» when you have two subordinate clauses linked by a conjunction like «men»:

… sier at god integrering tar tid, men at språket hjelper mye.

This is very natural and clear.

You can omit the second «at» in everyday speech and informal writing:

… sier at god integrering tar tid, men språket hjelper mye.

Both versions are grammatically acceptable. Repeating «at» makes the parallel structure clearer and a bit more formal or careful in style.

What does the phrase «tar tid» mean exactly, and how is it used?

«å ta tid» literally means “to take time”, just like in English:

Det tar tid. = It takes time.
God integrering tar tid. = Good integration takes time.
Det tar lang tid å lære språket. = It takes a long time to learn the language.

It’s used:

With a subject: Prosessen tar tid. (The process takes time.)
With «det» and an infinitive clause: Det tar tid å … (It takes time to …)

You might also hear:

bruker tid (på noe) = spend time (on something)
- Vi bruker mye tid på språket. = We spend a lot of time on the language.

But in the sentence you gave, «tar tid» is the standard way to express that the process is lengthy.

Why is it «språket» (definite) instead of just «språk»?

«Språket» is the definite singular: the language.

språk = a/the language (indefinite form, context decides)
språket = the language (definite form)

In context, with immigrants talking about integration, «språket» almost always means:

the local language of the country they live in (here: Norwegian)

So:

… men at språket hjelper mye.
= … but that the language (Norwegian) helps a lot.

If you said «språk hjelper mye», it would sound more like a general statement:

Language (in general) helps a lot, which is less natural here.

What’s the difference between «mye» and «mange», and why is it «hjeler mye»?

Both «mye» and «mange» can correspond to English “much / a lot / many”, but they are used with different kinds of nouns:

mye = much / a lot (of)
Used with:
- uncountable / mass nouns:
  - mye tid (a lot of time)
  - mye penger (a lot of money)
- As an adverb:
  - Det hjelper mye. = It helps a lot.
mange = many
Used with:
- countable plural nouns:
  - mange bøker (many books)
  - mange innvandrere (many immigrants)

In «språket hjelper mye», «mye» is an adverb modifying the verb «hjelper»:

The language helps a lot.
You cannot use «mange» here, because we’re not counting anything.

Who or what is the subject in «språket hjelper mye»? Why isn’t there a «det»?

In «språket hjelper mye»:

språket = the subject (the language)
hjelper = the verb (helps)
mye = adverb (a lot)

Norwegian, like English, doesn’t use «det» as a dummy subject when there is a real subject already present. Compare:

Språket hjelper mye. = The language helps a lot.
Det hjelper mye. = It helps a lot. (no specific subject mentioned)

In this sentence, we are clearly talking about the language, so «språket» is the proper subject and there is no «det».