Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Den landsbyen der bestefaren min vokste opp, ligner kulissene på scenen. - The village where my grandfather grew up resembles the sets on the stage.

So den here is a demonstrative pronoun (that), and -en on landsbyen is the ordinary definite ending (the). Norwegian normally keeps both when you say this/that + noun:

den boka = that book
den boka → formal spelling den boken
den store bilen = that big car

You can’t say den landsby (missing the definite ending) in standard Bokmål; landsby would need -en to become definite: landsbyen.

So den landsbyen literally sits between English the village and that village, but in this sentence it is most naturally understood as that village.

What exactly is der doing in den landsbyen der bestefaren min vokste opp? Why not som or hvor?

Here der is a relative adverb meaning where. It introduces a relative clause (a clause describing the village):

den landsbyen der bestefaren min vokste opp
= the village where my grandfather grew up

Some options:

der – most common for where in such relative clauses.
hvor – also possible, especially in written Bokmål:
- den landsbyen hvor bestefaren min vokste opp
som – normally refers to a subject or object, not a place adverb, so you don’t use som alone here. You could say:
- den landsbyen som bestefaren min vokste opp i
  (the village that my grandfather grew up in)

So:

der / hvor = “where”
som … i = “that … in”

All three versions are acceptable, but der is short and very natural in speech.

Why is it bestefaren min and not min bestefar?

Both are grammatically correct, but there are differences:

Word order with possessives
- min bestefar = my grandfather
  - possessive before the noun
  - common, neutral, and a bit more formal or written
- bestefaren min = my grandfather
  - possessive after the noun
  - very common and often feels a bit more personal / natural in speech
Double definiteness
When the possessive comes after the noun, the noun takes the definite ending:
- bestefar = grandfather
- bestefaren = the grandfather
- bestefaren min = my grandfather
This pattern (definite ending + possessive after) is very typical in Norwegian:
- huset mitt = my house
- vennene våre = our friends
- barnet hans = his child

So bestefaren min is a very normal, slightly more colloquial-sounding way to say my grandfather.

If bestefaren already has -en, why is min also there? Isn’t that “double definite”?

Yes, it’s a kind of double definiteness, but that’s how Norwegian works in this structure.

Pattern:

bestefar = grandfather (indefinite)
bestefaren = the grandfather (definite)
bestefaren min = my grandfather (definite noun + possessive after)

In English you don’t say “the my grandfather”, but in Norwegian you do mark definiteness twice when:

The possessive comes after the noun:
- huset mitt = my house
- boka di = your book
- vennen vår = our friend

You generally do not use double definiteness when the possessive comes before:

min bestefar (not min bestefaren)
mitt hus (not mitt huset)

So:

bestefaren min – correct (postposed possessive)
min bestefar – correct (preposed possessive)
min bestefaren – incorrect

Is the comma before ligner correct? I learned you shouldn’t put a comma between subject and verb in Norwegian.

The subject here is long:

Den landsbyen der bestefaren min vokste opp,
(subject)
ligner kulissene på scenen.
(predicate)

Traditional Norwegian punctuation often allowed (or even recommended) a comma after a long or heavy subject, to make reading easier:

Den landsbyen der bestefaren min vokste opp, ligner kulissene på scenen.

Modern style guides usually prefer no comma between subject and verb, even if the subject is long:

Den landsbyen der bestefaren min vokste opp ligner kulissene på scenen.

So:

With comma: traditional / stylistic choice, not wrong.
Without comma: more modern norm.

Both variants are seen; if you’re unsure, leave the comma out.

What does ligner mean here, and can it take på?

ligner is the present tense of å ligne, meaning to resemble / to look like.

Den landsbyen … ligner kulissene på scenen.
= That village … resembles the scenery on the stage.

About på:

With direct object (no på) – very common and often preferred:
- Han ligner faren sin. = He looks like his father.
With på – also used, especially in some regions:
- Han ligner på faren sin.

So here you could theoretically say:

Den landsbyen … ligner kulissene på scenen. (as given)
Den landsbyen … ligner på kulissene på scenen. (also possible)

Both are understood, but the version without på is completely standard and maybe a bit more concise.

What are kulissene exactly? Is it the same as “scenery” or “background”?

kulissene is the definite plural of kulisse.

en kulisse = a stage set piece / a flat / part of the scenery
kulissene = the set pieces / the scenery

In theatre context, kulisser usually refers to the physical parts of the stage scenery: walls, backdrops, fake buildings, trees, etc. In English you might translate it as:

the scenery
the stage set
the set pieces

So the sentence is saying:

The village looks like the theatrical scenery on a stage, not just like any background in general.

Why is kulissene plural in Norwegian? English might just say “the scenery”.

Norwegian tends to talk about the individual pieces of the stage set:

kulisser (indefinite plural)
kulissene (definite plural)

Even when English uses a mass noun scenery, Norwegian often uses plural kulisser.

Examples:

Kulissene var veldig realistiske.
= The scenery / set was very realistic.
Vi måtte bytte kulisser i pausen.
= We had to change the scenery (the set pieces) during the break.

So kulissene is natural Norwegian, even though English usually treats scenery as uncountable and singular.

Why is it på scenen and not something like i scenen or just scenen?

Norwegian often uses på with surfaces or areas perceived as platforms or stages:

på scenen = on the stage
på kino = at the cinema
på skolen = at (the) school
på jobben = at work

Here, the idea is “on the stage”, so på scenen is the normal preposition + definite form:

scene = stage
scenen = the stage
på scenen = on the stage

i scenen would literally mean in the stage (inside it), which doesn’t fit here.

Can the word order in the relative clause der bestefaren min vokste opp be changed? For example: der min bestefar vokste opp?

Yes, you can change the order of the possessive inside the clause:

der bestefaren min vokste opp
der min bestefar vokste opp

Both are grammatically correct and mean the same: where my grandfather grew up.

Differences:

bestefaren min – slightly more colloquial / typical in speech.
min bestefar – slightly more neutral or formal, often seen in writing.

The rest of the word order (bestefaren min vokste opp) should stay:

vokste opp is a fixed verb phrase (grew up).
You wouldn’t normally separate it or move opp somewhere else in this sentence.

Is vokste opp similar to the English phrasal verb “grew up”? Could you say har vokst opp instead?

Yes:

å vokse = to grow
å vokse opp = to grow up

In the sentence:

bestefaren min vokste opp
= my grandfather grew up (simple past)

You could say har vokst opp (present perfect):

bestefaren min har vokst opp der
= my grandfather has grown up there

But in this context (telling a simple, completed past fact) Norwegian often prefers the preterite (vokste opp) unless there is a clear connection to the present. So:

der bestefaren min vokste opp is the most natural here.

Why does the relative clause der bestefaren min vokste opp come directly after landsbyen?

In Norwegian (like in English), a relative clause describing a noun normally has to come immediately after that noun, so it’s clear what it modifies.

den landsbyen der bestefaren min vokste opp
= that village where my grandfather grew up

If you moved the clause away from landsbyen, the sentence would become confusing or change meaning.

Correct structure:

[Den landsbyen [der bestefaren min vokste opp]] ligner kulissene på scenen.

So the rule of thumb:
Put the relative clause (starting with der / som / hvor …) right after the noun it describes.