Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Instruktøren sier at vi skal fokusere på pusten og la tankene flyte forbi. - The instructor says that we shall focus on the breath and let the thoughts drift past.

instruktør = instructor (indefinite, like an instructor / instructor in general)
en instruktør = an instructor
instruktøren = the instructor (definite, one specific person)

Here the sentence talks about a specific instructor in the situation, so Norwegian uses the definite form instruktøren (root instruktør + -en = definite singular for a masculine noun).

What does at do in sier at vi skal..., and how does it affect the word order?

at is a subordinating conjunction meaning that. It introduces a subordinate clause:

Instruktøren sier at ... = The instructor says that ...

After at, Norwegian no longer uses the “verb in second position” rule (V2) of main clauses. Instead the order is:

subject – verb – rest

So:

vi (subject)
skal (verb)
fokusere på pusten og la tankene flyte forbi (rest of the clause)

Compare:

Main clause: Vi skal fokusere på pusten. (verb is in 2nd position)
After at: ... at vi skal fokusere på pusten. (subject first, then verb)

What nuance does skal have here? Is it future or obligation, and how is it different from vil or kommer til å?

skal is flexible and can mean:

Planned / instructed future
- Here, it mostly means are supposed to / will (as per instructions):
  vi skal fokusere ≈ we are to focus / we should focus (because the instructor says so).
Obligation / duty
- Du skal gjøre leksene dine. = You must / should do your homework.

Compared to other future-like forms:

vil → want to / would like to / will (volition)
- Jeg vil fokusere. = I want to focus.
kommer til å → neutral prediction of the future
- Det kommer til å regne. = It’s going to rain.

So vi skal fokusere here combines a future sense with the idea that this is the plan or instruction, not just a prediction or a desire.

Why do we say fokusere på pusten and not just fokusere pusten like in English “focus the breath”?

Some verbs in Norwegian require specific prepositions, and they don’t always match English.

å fokusere på noe = to focus on something

So the natural pattern is:

fokusere på pusten = focus on the breath

Using fokusere directly with an object (fokusere pusten) sounds wrong in modern standard Norwegian; you almost always need på when you say what you’re focusing on.

What’s the difference between pust, pusten, and en pust?

All are related to breath / breathing, but differ in form and nuance:

pust
- Base form / indefinite.
- Can be used as a mass noun (breath in general) or as “a breath” in some contexts.
en pust
- Explicit indefinite singular: a breath.
- Jeg tok en dyp pust. = I took a deep breath.
pusten
- Definite singular: the breath.
- Fokuser på pusten. = Focus on the breath.

In mindfulness/meditation instructions, pusten (the breath) is very common to refer to your breathing right now as a specific focus object.

How does la work in la tankene flyte forbi? Is it the same as English “let”?

Yes, la is very close to English let in this construction. It’s a causative/helping verb meaning let / allow / have (someone do something). Pattern:

la + object + infinitive

la tankene flyte forbi
= let the thoughts float by / let the thoughts pass by

More examples:

La meg være i fred. = Let me be in peace / leave me alone.
La barna leke. = Let the children play.

la is irregular:

infinitive: å la
present: lar
past: lot
past participle: har latt

What exactly is tankene grammatically? How is it formed?

Base noun: en tanke = a thought.

Forms:

en tanke = a thought (indefinite singular)
tanken = the thought (definite singular)
tanker = thoughts (indefinite plural)
tankene = the thoughts (definite plural)

So tankene in the sentence is:

plural
definite
the direct object of la:

la tankene flyte forbi
let the thoughts float by

What does flyte forbi literally mean, and how is forbi different from just flyte?

flyte = to float (be on the surface of water, or move gently through space)
forbi = past / by / past something

Together:

flyte forbi ≈ float past / drift by / pass by while floating

Just flyte:

Treet flyter i vannet. = The tree floats in the water.

With forbi:

Båtene flyter forbi oss. = The boats float past us.

In the meditation context, flyte forbi adds the idea that the thoughts move past you without you holding on to them: they appear, pass, and disappear.

Does skal apply to both fokusere and la, or only to fokusere?

skal applies to both verbs. The structure is:

vi skal [fokusere på pusten] og [la tankene flyte forbi]

Norwegian often uses one auxiliary/modal (here skal) in front of a coordinated list of infinitives:

Vi skal spise og drikke.
= We will eat and drink. (one skal, two verbs)

So the meaning is:

We are supposed to focus on the breath
and
we are supposed to let the thoughts float by.

Why is the word order la tankene flyte forbi and not something like la flyte tankene forbi?

With la + object + infinitive, the standard word order is:

la (finite verb) + object + infinitive verb (+ other elements)

So:

la (let)
tankene (the thoughts – object)
flyte (float – infinitive)
forbi (past – adverb)

Putting flyte right after la (la flyte tankene forbi) would break this pattern and sound ungrammatical in standard Norwegian.

The same structure appears in:

La meg tenke litt. = Let me think a bit.
La hunden sove. = Let the dog sleep.

Could you say Instruktøren sier vi skal fokusere... without at? Is there a difference?

Yes, in spoken Norwegian it’s very common to drop at in this kind of sentence:

Instruktøren sier vi skal fokusere på pusten...

This is usually understood the same way and is perfectly natural in informal speech.

Differences:

With at (sier at vi skal ...):
- Slightly more formal and explicit.
- Very standard in writing.
Without at (sier vi skal ...):
- More colloquial and conversational.
- Still widely used and accepted in speech.

For learners, using at is always safe and correct.

How do you pronounce the ø in Instruktøren, and how is the u in pusten pronounced?

Approximate guidelines:

ø (as in Instruktøren)
- Similar to the vowel in British English “bird” or “nurse”, but with rounded lips.
- Tongue position like English e in “bed”, but lips rounded.
- IPA: [ø] or [œ] depending on dialect.
u (as in pusten)
- Usually a high, rounded vowel, often like German u in “Mutter” or French ou in “vous”, but shorter.
- Not like English u in “cut” or “put”.
- IPA often [ʉ] in many Norwegian dialects (centralized, rounded).

So:

Instruktøren ≈ een-struhk-TØR-en (very roughly)
pusten ≈ PUH-sten with a tight, rounded u, not like English puh in “put” exactly, but closer to that than to pust in “dust”.