Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Foreldrene passer på barna om kvelden. - The parents look after the children in the evening.

The base word is foreldre = parents (indefinite plural).
The ending -ne is the definite plural ending: foreldre + ne → foreldrene = the parents.

So:

foreldre = parents
foreldrene = the parents

Norwegian usually adds the definite ending onto the noun instead of using a separate word like English the (though it can also use a separate article in some cases, but not here).

How would I say “a parent / the parent / parents / the parents” in Norwegian?

Using forelder / foreldre:

en forelder = a parent
forelderen = the parent
foreldre = parents
foreldrene = the parents

Note that foreldre is the normal word for parents. The singular forelder exists but is used less often in everyday speech than the plural forms; people often say mamma, pappa, mor, far, etc. for a single parent.

What does passer på mean here, and is it one verb or two words?

In this sentence, passer på functions as a phrasal verb meaning:

to look after, to watch, to keep an eye on, to take care of (in the sense of supervision).

So Foreldrene passer på barna = The parents look after the children.

Grammatically it’s the verb passe + the preposition på, but together they form a fixed expression: å passe på (noen/noe).

What’s the difference between passe and passe på?

They overlap, but there are differences:

passe (noen/noe) can mean:
- to look after (someone/something)
- to suit/fit (clothes, times, plans, etc.)
- to guard
Example:
- Kan du passe barna i kveld? = Can you look after the children tonight?
- Denne jakka passer deg. = This jacket fits/suits you.
passe på (noen/noe) strongly emphasizes watching, being careful, keeping an eye on:
- Jeg passer på barna. = I’m keeping an eye on the children.
- Pass på veska di! = Watch your bag!

In your sentence, passe på fits well because it’s about supervising the children, not about whether something “fits” or “suits” them.

Why is it barna and not barnene or something similar?

Barn is an irregular noun in Norwegian:

et barn = a child (neuter gender)
barn = children (indefinite plural)
barna = the children (definite plural)

There is no extra plural ending before -a here. You don’t say barnene; the language has fixed the pattern as barn → barna for “the children.”

So:

barn (no ending) can be one child (when you know it’s neuter “et barn”) or children in general, depending on context.
barna clearly means the children.

What does om kvelden literally mean, and why is it translated as “in the evening”?

Literally:

om = about / around / during (here: in, during)
kvelden = the evening (from en kveld, an evening)

So om kvelden literally is “during the evening” / “around the evening”, but in natural English it’s “in the evening.”

It usually refers to a general, habitual time:

Foreldrene passer på barna om kvelden.
= The parents look after the children (generally) in the evening / in the evenings.

Why do we use om in om kvelden instead of i or på?

With parts of the day used in a general/habitual sense, Norwegian often uses om:

om morgenen = in the morning (in general)
om dagen = in the daytime
om kvelden = in the evening
om natten = at night

You could see these as “during the [part of the day]” in English.

i kveld means this evening / tonight (a specific evening).
på kveldene means in the evenings (more explicitly plural, repeated evenings).

So:

om kvelden: generally “in the evening” / “in the evenings” (habit)
i kveld: this evening (tonight), one specific time
på kveldene: on/in the evenings (clearly many evenings)

Does passer here mean “look after” or “are looking after”? How do I tell the difference?

Norwegian present tense (here: passer) covers both:

English simple present: look after
English present continuous: are looking after

Context decides:

Foreldrene passer på barna om kvelden.
→ A general habit: The parents look after the children in the evening / in the evenings.

If you wanted to emphasize “right now, at this moment,” you’d add a time expression or context, but you still use passer:

Akkurat nå passer foreldrene på barna.
= Right now the parents are looking after the children.

Can I move om kvelden to the beginning of the sentence, and how does that affect word order?

Yes. You can say:

Om kvelden passer foreldrene på barna.
= In the evening, the parents look after the children.

Notice the verb-second rule (V2) in main clauses:

When Foreldrene is first:
Foreldrene (subject) passer (verb) på barna om kvelden.
When Om kvelden is first:
Om kvelden (adverbial) passer (verb) foreldrene (subject) på barna.

The finite verb (passer) must stay in the second position, even if something else (like om kvelden) comes first.

Where would I put the negation ikke in this sentence?

Negation ikke usually comes after the finite verb in a main clause:

Foreldrene passer ikke på barna om kvelden.
= The parents do not look after the children in the evening.

If you front om kvelden, you still keep verb-second and then place ikke after the verb:

Om kvelden passer foreldrene ikke på barna.
= In the evening, the parents do not look after the children.

How are the main words pronounced, roughly, for an English speaker?

Approximate pronunciations (Bokmål, standard-ish):

Foreldrene ≈ foh-REHL-dre-neh
- fo like fo in force (shorter)
- reld like rehld
- re like reh
- ne like neh
passer ≈ PAH-ser
- stress on PAH
på ≈ paw (with a long “aw” sound)
barna ≈ BAR-nah
- bar like bar in English
- na like nah
om ≈ om (like om in omnibus, but clearer)
kvelden ≈ KVEL-den
- kv like kv in kvetch but smoother, almost like kv/w blend
- el as in bell
- den like den in denim

Stress is on the first syllable of each content word: FOr-eld-re-ne, PAss-er, BAr-na, KVel-den.