Breakdown of Planen endres ofte når været er dramatisk.
Questions & Answers about Planen endres ofte når været er dramatisk.
In Norwegian, you use the definite form (planen = the plan) when both speaker and listener know which specific plan you are talking about, or when it’s “the usual/standard plan” in a certain context.
- Planen endres ofte …
= The plan is often changed … (the particular plan we have been talking about / the usual plan)
If you said:
- En plan endres ofte når været er dramatisk.
it would sound more like “A plan is often changed …”, talking about some random or hypothetical plan, not a specific one. In normal contexts (like at work, on a trip, in a project), Norwegians would almost always say planen here.
Yes. Endres is the -s passive form of the verb å endre (to change).
- å endre = to change
- (no -s): Vi endrer planen. = We change the plan. (active)
- (with -s): Planen endres. = The plan is changed / The plan changes. (passive/middle)
In Planen endres ofte, the -s form is used instead of mentioning who changes the plan. It can be understood in two ways:
- Pure passive: The plan is often changed (by someone).
- Middle voice / intransitive feel: The plan often changes (it tends to change, without focusing on who does it).
Both readings are possible; the context usually makes it clear.
Yes, Planen blir ofte endret is correct and common. Both mean roughly the same, but there are some nuances:
Planen endres ofte …
- Uses the -s passive.
- A bit more compact and neutral.
- Can feel slightly more “general/state-like”: The plan often changes / is often changed.
Planen blir ofte endret …
- Uses bli + past participle (another passive form).
- Often emphasizes the process or event: The plan often ends up being changed / often gets changed.
In daily speech, they are largely interchangeable here. If you need a very neutral, written style, Planen endres ofte is typical.
Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in the second position in the sentence.
- Planen = first element (subject)
- endres = second element (finite verb)
- ofte = comes after the verb
So:
- ✅ Planen endres ofte.
- ❌ Planen ofte endres. (breaks V2: the verb is not in second position)
If you put the adverb first, the verb still has to stay second:
- ✅ Ofte endres planen når været er dramatisk.
(Often, the plan changes when the weather is dramatic.)
Norwegian has three common words that can all be translated as when/if in English:
når
- Used for repeated events and future/general situations.
- Also used for present-time or future “when” in English.
- Example: Planen endres ofte når været er dramatisk.
→ This happens whenever the weather is dramatic.
da
- Used for single events in the past.
- Example: Planen ble endret da været plutselig forverret seg.
= The plan was changed when the weather suddenly got worse (that one time).
hvis
- Means if (condition).
- Example: Planen endres hvis været er dramatisk.
= The plan is changed if the weather is dramatic (only under that condition).
In your sentence, you’re describing something that regularly/typically happens in that situation, so når is the natural choice.
In Norwegian, weather is very often mentioned in the definite form:
- været = the weather
- vær (indefinite) exists, but is less common in everyday statements like this.
So Norwegians typically say:
- Været er fint. = The weather is nice.
- Når været er dramatisk … = When the weather is dramatic …
If you said når vær er dramatisk, it would sound ungrammatical. For general statements about “the weather”, Norwegian almost always uses været.
In subordinate clauses (clauses that start with words like når, at, fordi, hvis, etc.), Norwegian does not use the V2 rule. Instead, the usual order is:
conjunction – subject – verb – (other elements)
So:
- når (conjunction)
- været (subject)
- er (verb)
- dramatisk (adjective/predicate)
Correct:
- ✅ når været er dramatisk
Wrong:
- ❌ når er været dramatisk
The “verb in second position” rule applies in main clauses (like Planen endres ofte), but not in subordinate clauses.
Yes, you can say both, and both are correct:
Når været er dramatisk
- Literally: When the weather is dramatic.
- Focuses on “the weather” as a specific thing that has the quality dramatic.
Når det er dramatisk vær
- Literally: When it is dramatic weather.
- Uses det as a “dummy subject” (like English it in it’s raining).
- Sounds a bit more descriptive/colloquial: when the weather is dramatic / when it’s dramatic weather.
They mean almost the same in practice. Når været er dramatisk might sound slightly more formal or “sentence-like”; når det er dramatisk vær is perfectly natural too.
Yes, dramatisk vær / været er dramatisk is natural Norwegian.
Dramatisk for weather usually suggests:
- Strong contrasts or sudden changes
- Storms, heavy rain, strong winds, thunder, very dark clouds, etc.
- Something visually striking or intense
So:
- når været er dramatisk
= when the weather is wild / extreme / very intense or stormy, not just a bit bad.
Norwegian often uses the present tense to talk about:
- General truths
- Regular habits
- Future events that are planned or expected
Here:
- Planen endres ofte når været er dramatisk.
= The plan often changes when the weather is dramatic.
This describes a general rule or habit, so present tense is the natural choice, even though the changes will happen in the future as well.
If you wanted a more clearly future-focused version, you might say:
- Planen kommer til å endres hvis været blir dramatisk.
= The plan will be changed if the weather becomes dramatic.
But for a general rule or typical behavior, the simple present (endres, er) is standard.