Læreren forklarer planen tydeligere i dag.

The teacher explains the plan more clearly today.

Breakdown of Læreren forklarer planen tydeligere i dag.

• i dag: today
• forklare: to explain
• planen: the plan
• læreren: the teacher
• tydeligere: more clearly

Questions & Answers about Læreren forklarer planen tydeligere i dag.

Why is it læreren and planen and not something with a separate word for the?

Norwegian usually puts the at the end of the noun as a suffix instead of using a separate word.

• lærer = teacher

• læreren = the teacher ( -en is the definite suffix)

• plan = plan
• planen = the plan (again -en is the definite suffix)

So:

• en lærer = a teacher
• læreren = the teacher
• en plan = a plan
• planen = the plan

In this sentence both læreren and planen are specific, so they are in the definite form with the -en ending.

Why is the verb forklarer in the present tense? In English I would say is explaining.

Norwegian present tense covers both English present simple and present continuous.

• Læreren forklarer planen tydeligere i dag.
  can mean:
  • The teacher explains the plan more clearly today.
  • The teacher is explaining the plan more clearly today.

Context usually tells you whether it is a general habit or something happening right now.

Because of i dag (today), this sentence will most often be understood as something happening today (often right now or these days), even though the verb form is just the plain present forklarer.

What exactly does forklarer planen mean? Is any preposition missing?

Forklare is a verb that takes a direct object:

• å forklare noe (for noen) = to explain something (to someone)

So:

• forklarer planen = explains the plan

There is no preposition between forklarer and planen in Norwegian.
If you want to say to someone, you add for:

• Læreren forklarer planen for elevene.
  = The teacher explains the plan to the students.

In your sentence, the person being explained to is just not mentioned.

Is tydeligere an adjective or an adverb here?

Functionally, tydeligere is an adverb here, because it describes how the teacher explains the plan (more clearly).

Form-wise, it is the comparative of the adjective tydelig (clear / clear(ly)).
Norwegian often uses the same form both for adjectives and adverbs:

• Hun er tydelig. = She is clear. (adjective)
• Hun snakker tydelig. = She speaks clearly. (adverb)

Comparative:

• tydelig → tydeligere = clearer / more clearly
  
  • En tydelig forklaring. = a clear explanation
  • Hun forklarer tydeligere. = she explains more clearly

So grammatically it’s the comparative form of an adjective, but in this sentence it is used as an adverb.

What is the difference between tydeligere and mer tydelig?

Both tydeligere and mer tydelig can mean more clearly / clearer, but:

• tydeligere = built-in comparative form
• mer tydelig = more
  • base form of the adjective

In practice:

• Læreren forklarer planen tydeligere i dag.
• Læreren forklarer planen mer tydelig i dag.

Both are understandable. Tydeligere is more natural and compact here.
You usually prefer the built-in comparative (-ere) when it exists and sounds natural. Mer + adjective is used especially with longer or foreign adjectives, or when -ere would sound odd.

Why is tydeligere before i dag? Could I say i dag tydeligere?

The most neutral Norwegian word order in this sentence is:

1. Subject: Læreren
2. Verb: forklarer
3. Object: planen
4. Manner adverb: tydeligere (how?)
5. Time adverbial: i dag (when?)

So: Læreren forklarer planen tydeligere i dag.

You can move i dag to the front to emphasize “today”:

• I dag forklarer læreren planen tydeligere.

But you normally do not say:

• ✗ Læreren forklarer planen i dag tydeligere. (unnatural)
• ✗ Læreren forklarer planen tydeligere i dag is correct and natural
• I dag forklarer læreren planen tydeligere is also correct

General rule of thumb: manner (how) before time (when), unless you move the time expression to the very front for emphasis.

Could the sentence start with i dag? How does that change the meaning?

Yes:

• I dag forklarer læreren planen tydeligere.

This is perfectly correct. Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the verb must be in second position, regardless of what comes first. Here:

1. I dag (adverbial in first position)
2. forklarer (verb in second position)
3. læreren (subject)
4. planen tydeligere (rest)

Meaning-wise:

• Læreren forklarer planen tydeligere i dag.
  → neutral statement; mild focus on “more clearly”.
• I dag forklarer læreren planen tydeligere.
  → emphasizes today (as opposed to other days).

Why is the preposition i used in i dag? Could it be på dag?

I dag is a fixed expression meaning today. You always say:

• i dag = today
• i går = yesterday
• i morgen = tomorrow

You do not say på dag for today.
På is used with days of the week and some other expressions:

• på mandag = on Monday
• på fredag = on Friday

So:

• i dag = today (fixed phrase)
• på mandag = on Monday

How would I make this sentence plural, like The teachers explain the plan more clearly today?

You need plural forms for lærer and (optionally) for plan:

• Singular: læreren = the teacher

• Plural definite: lærerne = the teachers

• Singular: planen = the plan
• Plural definite: planene = the plans

Example 1 – plural subject, singular object:

• Lærerne forklarer planen tydeligere i dag.
  = The teachers explain the plan more clearly today.

Example 2 – plural subject and plural object:

• Lærerne forklarer planene tydeligere i dag.
  = The teachers explain the plans more clearly today.

The verb forklarer stays the same; Norwegian verbs do not change for singular vs plural subjects.

Is lærer masculine, and does that matter for læreren?

Yes, lærer is grammatically masculine in Norwegian.

Indefinite forms:

• en lærer = a teacher (masculine)

Definite forms:

• læreren = the teacher

The masculine definite suffix is -en, which you see in læreren.
In spoken language, many speakers also allow a common-gender article en/ei with some nouns, but en lærer / læreren is the standard form you will see in writing.

How would I say The teacher explained the plan more clearly today in the past tense?

You change forklarer (present) to forklarte (past):

• Læreren forklarte planen tydeligere i dag.

This means:

• The teacher explained the plan more clearly today
  (understood as something that already happened earlier today).

If you want a clearly past time instead of today, you can use, for example:

• i går = yesterday
  → Læreren forklarte planen tydeligere i går.

How are the main words in the sentence pronounced, especially æ and rn in læreren?

Approximate guidance (using English-like hints):

• Læreren

  • læ: like “la” in lad, but with lips a bit wider and a longer vowel
  • re: like “reh”, with a tapped or rolled r
  • ren: rn tends to blend, almost like “ren” in rent but with Norwegian r

• forklarer

  • for: like English “for”, but often shorter
  • kla: a as in father, clear k
  • rer: again with a tapped or rolled r

• planen

  • pla: a like in father
  • nen: short e, then n

• tydeligere

  • ty: fronted y sound (like French tu), not like English too
  • de: like “deh”
  • lig: g often soft or almost silent
  • ere: “eh-reh”

The hardest bits for English speakers are usually:

• the vowel æ in læreren (front open vowel, between cat and lad)
• the front rounded y in tydeligere
• the tapped/rolled r sounds.