Jeg er fornøyd med lønnen nå.

I am satisfied with the salary now.

Breakdown of Jeg er fornøyd med lønnen nå.

• jeg: I
• være: to be
• med: with
• nå: now
• fornøyd: satisfied
• lønnen: the pay

Questions & Answers about Jeg er fornøyd med lønnen nå.

What does "fornøyd" mean exactly, and is it the same as “happy”?

Fornøyd usually means “satisfied / content”, not necessarily “happy” in a very emotional sense.

• Jeg er fornøyd med lønnen nå.
  = I’m satisfied/content with the salary now.

If you want to say you’re emotionally happy, you’d more often use glad:

• Jeg er glad. = I’m happy.
• Jeg er fornøyd med lønnen. = I’m satisfied with the salary (it’s acceptable / good enough).

So fornøyd is about being pleased or satisfied with a result or situation, rather than generally feeling happy.

Why is it “med” here? Is “med” just the word for “with”?

Yes, med is the normal translation of “with”, but the key point is that in Norwegian some adjectives “demand” a particular preposition.

You normally say:

• fornøyd med noe = satisfied with something
  
  • Jeg er fornøyd med lønnen.
• misfornøyd med noe = dissatisfied with something
  
  • Han er misfornøyd med jobben.

You would not say fornøyd av; that sounds wrong. So you should memorize the expression as a chunk:

fornøyd med + [thing]

Why is it “lønnen” and not just “lønn”?

Lønnen is the definite form: “the salary”.

• lønn = salary (indefinite)
• lønnen = the salary (definite)

In Norwegian, when you talk about something specific and known (like my salary in this context), you very often use the definite form without a possessive:

• Jeg er fornøyd med lønnen.
  Literally: I am satisfied with the salary.
  Meaning: I’m satisfied with *my salary.*

You could say lønn (indefinite) in some contexts, but in a sentence like this, the definite lønnen is the natural, idiomatic choice.

What are the full forms of the noun “lønn”? Is it masculine or feminine?

In Bokmål, lønn can be masculine or feminine. The most common written choice is masculine:

Masculine pattern (very common in writing):

• en lønn – a salary
• lønnen – the salary
• lønner – salaries
• lønnene – the salaries

Feminine pattern (also allowed, very common in speech):

• ei lønn – a salary
• lønna – the salary
• lønner – salaries
• lønnene – the salaries

So your sentence could also be:

• Jeg er fornøyd med lønna nå.

Both lønnen and lønna are correct in Bokmål; lønna feels more colloquial / spoken-style.

Why don’t we say “min lønn” or “lønnen min” if we mean “my salary”?

Norwegian often drops the possessive when it’s clear from context whose thing it is.

• Jeg er fornøyd med lønnen.
  = I’m satisfied with my salary. (understood)
• Jeg er fornøyd med jobben.
  = I’m satisfied with my job.

You can add a possessive if you really want to:

• Jeg er fornøyd med lønnen min.
• Jeg er fornøyd med min lønn. (more formal/emphatic)

But in ordinary conversation, Jeg er fornøyd med lønnen nå. already very naturally means “I’m happy with my salary now.”

How is “fornøyd” pronounced, especially the øy?

Approximate pronunciation in standard East Norwegian:

• fornøyd: [foʀ-nøyd]
  
  • for- like for in “forget” (but shorter)
  • -nøyd: the øy is a diphthong, similar to the vowel in British English “bird” mixed with “boy” – many learners approximate it as something between “nuhyd” and “noyd”.

Rough English-style approximation: “for-NOYD” (but with more rounded lips on the vowel).

Full sentence (roughly):
Jeg er fornøyd med lønnen nå. ≈ Yai ehr for-NOYD med LØN-nen naw

Does “fornøyd” change form for gender and number?

In predicative position (after er), fornøyd normally looks the same in Bokmål, regardless of gender:

• Jeg er fornøyd. (I, masculine or feminine)
• Hun er fornøyd. (she)
• Han er fornøyd. (he)

In the plural, you usually add -e:

• Vi er fornøyde. = We are satisfied.
• De er fornøyde. = They are satisfied.

As an attributive adjective (before a noun) you typically also add -e:

• en fornøyd kunde – a satisfied customer
• et fornøyd barn – a satisfied child
• fornøyde kunder – satisfied customers

Can I move “nå” to a different place in the sentence?

Yes. The most common versions are:

• Jeg er fornøyd med lønnen nå.
• Nå er jeg fornøyd med lønnen.

Both are correct. The difference is mainly emphasis:

• Jeg er fornøyd med lønnen nå.
  → slight emphasis on “now” as a time contrast (before, I wasn’t).
• Nå er jeg fornøyd med lønnen.
  → stronger emphasis on the change of state “Now, I am satisfied …”.

You would normally not say Jeg er nå fornøyd med lønnen in everyday speech; that sounds stiff and a bit old-fashioned.

What’s the nuance of “nå” here? Is it like “right now” or “these days”?

Nå usually corresponds to “now” / “right now”, but context can stretch it a bit.

In this sentence it typically means:

• Either right now at this point in time (perhaps you just got a raise)
• Or as opposed to earlier, more like “nowadays / at this stage”:

I used to think my salary was too low, but now I’m satisfied with it.

For “these days / currently” (more general), you might also hear:

• for tiden – at the moment / these days
• nå om dagen – these days (informal)

What is the difference between “fornøyd” and “tilfreds”?

Both can translate to “satisfied / content”, but their usage differs:

• fornøyd is more common and neutral in everyday speech:

  • Jeg er fornøyd med lønnen. – I’m satisfied with the salary.

• tilfreds sounds more formal, written, or slightly old-fashioned in many contexts:

  • Jeg er tilfreds med lønnen. – Correct, but more formal.

So in normal conversation, fornøyd is usually the best choice.