Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Når jeg er trøtt, begynner jeg bare å skrolle uten mål på telefonen. - When I am tired, I just start scrolling aimlessly on the phone.

If a subordinate clause (introduced by når, hvis, fordi, at, som etc.) comes first, you put a comma before the main clause:
- Når jeg er trøtt, begynner jeg bare å skrolle …
If you put the main clause first, there is usually no comma:
- Jeg begynner bare å skrolle på telefonen når jeg er trøtt.

Why is it begynner jeg and not jeg begynner after the comma?

Norwegian main clauses normally follow the V2 rule: the finite verb is in the second position.

In the main clause here:

First position: the whole introductory phrase Når jeg er trøtt (treated as one unit)
Second position: the finite verb begynner
Then the subject: jeg

So:

Correct: Når jeg er trøtt, begynner jeg bare å skrolle …
Also correct (no inversion because subject is first): Jeg begynner bare å skrolle på telefonen når jeg er trøtt.

You cannot say:

✗ Når jeg er trøtt, jeg begynner bare å skrolle …
because then the verb is not in second position of the main clause.

Why is it når and not da in this sentence?

Når is used for:

Repeated, habitual situations: Når jeg er trøtt, begynner jeg … (whenever I am tired)
Future time: Når jeg kommer hjem, …

Da is used mainly for:

A single, specific event in the past:
- Da jeg var trøtt i går, begynte jeg å skrolle. (That particular time yesterday)

Here we are talking about a general habit, so når is correct, not da.

What is the nuance of trøtt? Could I use sliten instead?

Both are possible, but they feel slightly different:

trøtt = tired/sleepy, low energy, often needing sleep
- Når jeg er trøtt, … suggests you’re sleepy or low on energy.
sliten = tired/worn out/exhausted (physically or mentally), often after effort or a long day
- Når jeg er sliten, begynner jeg bare å skrolle … would emphasise being worn out rather than just sleepy.

In everyday speech they can overlap, and both versions would be natural, just with a small difference in feeling.

Why is it er trøtt and not blir trøtt?

er trøtt = am tired (state/condition)
blir trøtt = become tired (change into that state)

Når jeg er trøtt, begynner jeg …
= When I am (already) tired, I start scrolling …

If you said:

Når jeg blir trøtt, begynner jeg å skrolle …
this would mean As soon as I become tired, I start scrolling …, focusing more on the moment you get tired.

Why is it å skrolle and not og skrolle?

Norwegian has two very similar little words:

å = infinitive marker (like to in English):
- å skrolle, å spise, å lese
og = and:
- jeg spiser og drikker

After verbs like begynne, liker, prøver, skal etc., you normally use å before the infinitive:

begynner å skrolle
liker å lese
prøver å sove

So å skrolle is correct here; og skrolle would be wrong.

What does skrolle mean, and is this spelling standard?

å skrolle is a loan word from English to scroll, used for moving up and down on a phone or computer screen.

About spelling and usage:

Common forms you’ll see: å skrolle, å scrolle
(skrolle is fully Norwegian-ized; scrolle looks more English.)
Meaning: scrolling through feeds, webpages, apps, social media, etc.
It’s colloquial and very common in everyday speech, especially about phones.

More “traditional” Norwegian alternatives:

å bla (through pages)
å bla i sosiale medier (scroll through social media), but skrolle is more natural here.

What does uten mål literally mean, and is it idiomatic?

Literally:

uten = without
mål = goal/aim/target

So uten mål = without goal/aim, i.e. aimlessly.

In this context å skrolle uten mål is idiomatic and means:

scrolling with no clear purpose
just mindlessly/aimlessly going through stuff

A close synonym would be å skrolle tankeløst (mindlessly), but uten mål is very natural and common.

Why is it på telefonen and not just på telefon?

Norwegian usually uses the definite form to mean my / the one we are talking about when context is clear:

telefon = a phone (in general)
telefonen = the phone (often understood as my phone / this phone in context)

på telefonen here naturally means on my phone without needing a possessive pronoun.

Using just på telefon would usually sound incomplete or like you mean “on a/the phone (in general)”, not your actual device in your hand.

Why is the preposition på used with telefonen?

Norwegian idioms with devices often use på:

på telefonen = on the phone
på mobilen = on the mobile
på pc-en / på laptopen = on the computer/laptop

So å skrolle på telefonen = scroll on the phone.
You would not say i telefonen here; that normally refers to being “in the phone” (e.g. sound, talking in the phone).

Why is bare placed between begynner and å skrolle? Could it go somewhere else?

Adverbs like bare (“only/just”) usually come:

after the verb and
before the phrase they modify.

Here:

verb: begynner
infinitive phrase: å skrolle uten mål på telefonen
adverb: bare, modifying the action of scrolling

So:

begynner jeg bare å skrolle … = I just start scrolling …

Other positions:

Når jeg er trøtt, begynner jeg å bare skrolle uten mål … – possible, but less natural; it puts extra focus on “only scroll”.
Når jeg er trøtt, begynner jeg å skrolle bare uten mål … – sounds odd; bare wants to be earlier.

The most natural and neutral is the original:
begynner jeg bare å skrolle uten mål …

What nuance does bare add here? Could I leave it out?

bare can mean only / just / simply.

In this sentence:

begynner jeg å skrolle … = I start scrolling …
begynner jeg bare å skrolle … = I just start scrolling / I simply start scrolling

It adds the idea that:

this is all you do
it’s somewhat passive, maybe a bit pointless or automatic

If you remove bare, the basic meaning is still there, but you lose that nuance of “only/just” and it sounds a bit more neutral and less self-critical.

Could I say Hvis jeg er trøtt instead of Når jeg er trøtt?

You could, but it changes the nuance:

Når jeg er trøtt = whenever/when I am tired
– describes a general, regular situation.
Hvis jeg er trøtt = if I am tired
– sounds more like a condition that may or may not be true in a given case.

So:

Når jeg er trøtt, begynner jeg bare å skrolle …
= This is what typically happens whenever I’m tired.
Hvis jeg er trøtt, begynner jeg bare å skrolle …
= On the condition that I am tired, I (then) just start scrolling.

Both are grammatically correct; når is more natural here for describing a habit.

How do you pronounce trøtt, skrolle, and mål?

Approximate guidance (using English-like hints):

trøtt
- tr- like English tr in true
- ø like the vowel in British bird or French œ in sœur (rounded lips), not like English o
- final -tt is short and crisp
- overall: one short, stressed syllable: trøtt
skrolle
- skr- like skr in screw (but with a rolled or tapped r in some accents)
- o like o in off (short)
- -lle like -leh, but fairly quick
- stress on the first syllable: SKROL-le
mål
- m
  - long å like English aw in law (but more rounded)
- final l is clear
- one long, stressed syllable: mål

These are rough approximations; hearing native audio will help a lot with ø and å in particular.