Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Marerittet kommer tilbake hver natt.

So singular and plural indefinite look the same (mareritt); you see the difference from context. The definite forms add endings: -et (singular), -ene (plural).

Why is it hver natt and not hver natten?

With hver (every), the noun must be in indefinite singular without any definite ending or article.

So:

✅ hver natt – every night
❌ hver natten – wrong (you can’t combine hver with a definite form)
❌ hver den natten – wrong (no separate definite article with hver either)

Pattern: hver + bare singular noun (no en/ei/et, no -en/-et/-a).

Why do we say hver natt and not hvert natt?

The choice between hver and hvert depends on the gender of the noun:

hver is used with common gender nouns (en/ei-words).
hvert is used with neuter nouns (et-words).

Natt is a common gender noun in Bokmål:

en natt (or ei natt) – a night

Therefore:

✅ hver natt – every night
❌ hvert natt – wrong, because natt is not neuter.

Could I say Marerittet kommer hver natt tilbake instead of kommer tilbake hver natt?

You can say Marerittet kommer hver natt tilbake, and people will understand you, but the most natural and neutral word order is:

Marerittet kommer tilbake hver natt.

Here’s why:

komme tilbake functions as a kind of verb + particle unit (like English come back).
Typically, the particle tilbake stays close to the verb: kommer tilbake.
Time expressions like hver natt usually come after the verb phrase.

So this is the most standard order:

Subject: Marerittet
Verb + particle: kommer tilbake
Time adverbial: hver natt

Can I move hver natt to the front: Hver natt kommer marerittet tilbake?

Yes, that is perfectly correct and quite natural:

Hver natt kommer marerittet tilbake.

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule (the verb is in second position):

Hver natt (adverbial in first position)
kommer (the finite verb in second position)
marerittet (subject)
tilbake (particle)

So both are fine:

Marerittet kommer tilbake hver natt. (neutral)
Hver natt kommer marerittet tilbake. (emphasis on every night)

What is the difference between kommer tilbake and kommer igjen?

Both can translate as “comes back”, but there’s a nuance:

komme tilbake – literally come back/return, often used for physical or concrete return.
komme igjen – can mean come again or come back, and often emphasizes repetition rather than direction.

In this sentence:

Marerittet kommer tilbake hver natt. – very natural; the nightmare returns each night.
Marerittet kommer igjen hver natt. – also understandable, but focuses more on the fact that it reappears repeatedly.

For a recurring nightmare, kommer tilbake is probably the most idiomatic choice.

Why is simple present (kommer) used instead of something like “is coming back”?

Norwegian uses the simple present much more broadly than English. It covers:

General truths: Vann koker ved 100 grader.
Habits and repeated actions: Jeg trener hver dag.
Actions happening now (if the context is clear).

So:

Marerittet kommer tilbake hver natt.
= The nightmare comes back every night.
(habit / repeated action)

Norwegian does have a progressive-like form (holder på å + infinitive), but it’s used much less and would sound strange here:

❌ Marerittet holder på å komme tilbake hver natt. – very unnatural in this context.

Can natt be feminine (ei natt), and would that change this sentence?

In Bokmål, natt can be:

Common gender (masculine): en natt – natten
Or feminine: ei natt – natta

Both are accepted.

However, in hver natt, the noun is in indefinite singular, and the form natt is the same whether you normally use en natt or ei natt. So:

hver natt is correct regardless of whether you personally say en natt or ei natt.

What changes is the definite form:

masculine: natten
feminine: natta

But that doesn’t affect this particular sentence.

How do I say “The nightmare came back every night” and “The nightmare will come back every night” in Norwegian?

For the past (came back):

Marerittet kom tilbake hver natt.
– Simple past of kommer is kom.

For the future (will come back):

You have a couple of natural options:

Marerittet vil komme tilbake hver natt.
Marerittet kommer til å komme tilbake hver natt. (a bit heavier; often used when talking about expected future events)

The simplest is usually:

Marerittet vil komme tilbake hver natt.

How do you pronounce “Marerittet kommer tilbake hver natt”?

Approximate pronunciation in plain English guidance (standard Eastern Norwegian):

Marerittet ≈ MAH-re-rit-te
- Stress on the first syllable: MARE-ritt-et
- Double tt means a short vowel before it: the i in ritt is short.
kommer ≈ KOM-mer
- Similar to English “comma” but with a clear r and short o (like in “cot” for many speakers).
tilbake ≈ til-BAH-ke
- Stress on the second syllable: til-BA-ke
- The e at the end is a short, reduced vowel (like the e in “the” when unstressed).
hver ≈ vaer
- The hv is often pronounced just like an English v in many modern accents.
- The vowel is like English “air”.
natt ≈ nat
- Short a (like in British “nut” but more open), clear tt.

All together, slowly:

MAH-re-ritt-et KOM-mer til-BAH-ke vaer nat

What is the literal meaning or structure of the word mareritt?

Mareritt is a compound word:

mare – an old word for a demonic being or evil spirit that torments people in their sleep (related to English “nightmare”).
ritt – ride (noun), as in “a ride on a horse”.

So mareritt literally means something like “the mare’s ride” – the idea is that an evil spirit is “riding” you in your sleep, causing bad dreams. Historically, this is the same mare found in English nightmare.