Foreldremøtet begynner klokken syv.

The parent meeting starts at seven o'clock.

Breakdown of Foreldremøtet begynner klokken syv.

• begynne: to begin
• klokken: the clock
• syv: seven
• foreldremøtet: the parent meeting

Questions & Answers about Foreldremøtet begynner klokken syv.

Why is it Foreldremøtet and not Foreldremøte?

Foreldremøte is a neuter noun meaning parent–teacher meeting / parents’ meeting.

Norwegian marks definite nouns with an ending, not with the English word the in front:

• et foreldremøte = a parents’ meeting (indefinite, neuter)
• foreldremøtet = the parents’ meeting (definite, neuter)

So in this sentence we are talking about a specific meeting that everyone already knows about, so it must be foreldremøtet (the parents’ meeting), not just foreldremøte.

What is foreldremøte made of, and what does it literally mean?

Foreldremøte is a compound noun:

• foreldre = parents
• møte = meeting

Put together, foreldremøte literally means parents’ meeting.
The grammatical gender comes from møte, which is a neuter noun, so the indefinite form is et foreldremøte and the definite form is foreldremøtet.

How is Foreldremøtet pronounced, especially the ø?

Approximate pronunciation (Bokmål standard):

• Foreldremøtet: /fu-RELL-dre-mø-te/ (one common approximation)

Key points:

• o in For- is often like o in for (British) or fo in forget.
• e in -re- and -te is like the e in bed, but often shorter and more relaxed.
• ø in møte is a rounded front vowel not found in English.
  
  • To approximate ø, say e as in bed while rounding your lips as if saying o.
  • So møte sounds roughly like MUH-teh, but with rounded lips on the first vowel.

The final -t in møtet is usually clearly pronounced in careful speech.

Why is the verb begynner and not some other form like begynne?

The infinitive is å begynne = to begin/start.

In the present tense, regular verbs in Bokmål usually take -er:

• å begynne → begynner
• å snakke (to speak) → snakker
• å lese (to read) → leser

So with a present-tense subject (Foreldremøtet), the correct form is begynner:

• Foreldremøtet begynner … = The parents’ meeting begins …

What is the word order here? Why is it Foreldremøtet begynner and not Begynner foreldremøtet?

Norwegian main clauses usually follow S–V–(other elements) order:

• Subject – Verb – (Time/Place/Object …)

In this sentence:

• Foreldremøtet = Subject
• begynner = Verb
• klokken syv = Time expression

So the normal neutral order is:

• Foreldremøtet (S) begynner (V) klokken syv (Time)

You could say Begynner foreldremøtet klokken syv? but then it becomes a yes/no question (Does the parents’ meeting begin at seven?).

What does klokken mean here, and why do we need it before syv?

Klokken is the definite form of klokke (a clock / a watch), so literally klokken syv is the clock seven. Functionally, it works like English o’clock:

• klokken syv ≈ seven o’clock

In time expressions, Norwegian normally uses klokken (or the more colloquial klokka) in front of the hour:

• klokken tre = three o’clock
• klokken halv fem = half past four (literally: the clock half five)

So Foreldremøtet begynner klokken syv = The parents’ meeting starts at seven o’clock.

Can I say klokka syv instead of klokken syv?

Yes.

• klokken is more formal/standard written Bokmål.
• klokka is more informal/colloquial and very common in speech.

Both are correct. You will often hear:

• Foreldremøtet begynner klokka sju.

In writing for school or formal contexts, klokken syv is a safe choice.

Why is it syv here, and I sometimes see sju?

syv and sju both mean seven, and both are correct in Bokmål.

• syv: slightly more traditional/formal in some styles.
• sju: more common in everyday spoken language and in many written contexts too.

You can say either:

• klokken syv
• klokka sju

They mean the same thing.

Is there any difference between begynner and starter?

Both begynner and starter can mean begins/starts, and in this sentence they would be understood the same:

• Foreldremøtet begynner klokken syv.
• Foreldremøtet starter klokken syv.

begynne is slightly more general and very common.
starte is often used similarly, and also in more technical or process contexts (machines, programs, events), but the overlap is large. For a meeting, both are natural.

How do I talk about more than one foreldremøte?

The patterns are:

• Singular, indefinite: et foreldremøte = a parents’ meeting

• Singular, definite: foreldremøtet = the parents’ meeting

• Plural, indefinite: foreldremøter = parents’ meetings
• Plural, definite: foreldremøtene = the parents’ meetings

Examples:

• Vi skal ha to foreldremøter i år.
  We will have two parents’ meetings this year.

• Foreldremøtene begynner klokken syv.
  The parents’ meetings begin at seven o’clock.