Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Forstaden der vi bor, er rolig om natten selv om togene passerer nær huset. - The suburb where we live is quiet at night even though the trains pass close to the house.

Here we’re talking about a specific suburb (the one where we live), so the definite form forstaden is used. It’s capitalized only because it begins the sentence, not because it’s a name.

What exactly does der vi bor mean, and what is der doing here?

Der vi bor literally means there we live, but functionally it is a relative clause: the suburb where we live.

der = where/there (used as a relative word here)
vi bor = we live

Together: forstaden der vi bor = the suburb where we live.

In Norwegian, you cannot drop this word like English sometimes does:

English can say: The suburb we live in
Norwegian needs a relative element:
- Forstaden der vi bor (i)
- or Forstaden som vi bor i

So der is connecting the suburb with the clause we live.

Is the comma after bor (in der vi bor, er rolig) necessary, and why?

Yes. In Norwegian, you normally put a comma after a dependent clause when a main clause follows.

Forstaden der vi bor = a clause-like phrase (with a relative clause inside it)
er rolig om natten … = main clause

So you get:

Forstaden der vi bor, er rolig om natten …

This is similar to:

Når det regner, blir jeg hjemme.
(When it rains, I stay at home.)

Comma use is stricter in Norwegian than in modern English; these kinds of commas are still standard.

Why is it om natten and not just natten or på natten?

Om natten is a standard way to say at night / during the night in a general, habitual sense.

om natten = at night (in general; usually, regularly)
på natten is also possible, but om natten is more idiomatic for “at night” as a time of day.
Just natten would normally mean the night as a subject or object, not as a time expression.

Examples:

Jeg jobber om natten. – I work at night.
Vi reiste om kvelden. – We travelled in the evening.

What does selv om mean, and how is it different from hvis or om?

Selv om means although / even though and introduces a contrast.

selv om togene passerer nær huset
= even though the trains pass close to the house

Compare:

hvis / om (conditional) = if
- Hvis/om togene passerer nær huset, våkner jeg.
  = If the trains pass near the house, I wake up.
selv om (concessive) = although / even though
- Jeg våkner ikke, selv om togene passerer nær huset.
  = I don’t wake up, even though the trains pass near the house.

So selv om is about something being true despite something else.

Why is the word order selv om togene passerer nær huset and not selv om passerer togene nær huset?

In Norwegian subordinate clauses (introduced by words like selv om, fordi, at, når, hvis), the normal order is:

Subject – Verb – (Other elements)

So:

togene (subject)
passerer (verb)
nær huset (adverbial phrase)

Therefore:

selv om togene passerer nær huset is correct.
selv om passerer togene nær huset is wrong, because the inversion (Verb–Subject) is used in main clauses after certain elements, but not in subordinate clauses.

Main clause example (with inversion):

I natt passerer togene nær huset.
(Tonight the trains pass near the house.)

Why is it togene and not just tog?

Tog = train; also the plural form trains (indefinite).
Togene = the trains (plural definite).

Norwegian often marks plural and definiteness with endings:

et tog – a train
toget – the train
tog – trains
tog or toga (less common) – (some) trains (dialect/variant)
togene – the trains

Here, the sentence is talking about specific, known trains (for example, the trains that regularly pass that line), so it uses togene: even though *the trains pass close to the house*.

What is the difference between nær and nært, and could I say nært huset instead of nær huset?

Both are related to “near”, but they are used slightly differently.

nær is a preposition or adjective:
- nær huset = near the house (preposition)
- et nært forhold = a close relationship (adjective, neuter form)
nært is mainly the neuter form of the adjective nær, or an adverb:
- De står nært hverandre. = They stand close to each other. (adverb)

In this sentence, nær is used as a preposition:

passerer nær huset = pass near the house

You can hear nært huset in some varieties of Norwegian, but nær huset is the standard and clearest choice here.

Why is it huset (the house) and not just hus?

Same reason as with forstaden and togene: Norwegian likes to mark definiteness with endings.

et hus = a house
huset = the house
hus = houses (indefinite plural)
husene = the houses

Here, it’s a specific house (the speaker’s house), so huset = the house is used:

nær huset = close to the house (where we live)

Could I say Forstaden hvor vi bor instead of Forstaden der vi bor?

In written Bokmål, der is the standard choice for where in relative clauses referring to place:

Forstaden der vi bor – The suburb where we live.

Hvor is more typical in questions:

Hvor bor dere? – Where do you live?

However, many native speakers do say and write hvor in relative clauses in everyday speech and informal writing:

Forstaden hvor vi bor – also commonly heard/seen, especially in more informal contexts.

If you want to stay on the safe side in formal Norwegian, use der in this kind of relative clause.

Could you also say Forstaden vi bor i instead of Forstaden der vi bor?

Yes, that’s a very natural alternative:

Forstaden vi bor i
literally: the suburb we live in

Here:

The relative word som is often omitted in speech:
- Full form: Forstaden som vi bor i
- Common form: Forstaden vi bor i

This structure with a preposition at the end (i) is very normal in Norwegian, just like we live in in English.

So you have three common options:

Forstaden der vi bor
Forstaden som vi bor i
Forstaden vi bor i

All are acceptable; style and context decide which you prefer.

Why is the present tense passerer used here; does it mean this happens regularly?

Yes. Norwegian present tense often covers:

current ongoing actions, and
habitual/repeated actions and general truths.

Togene passerer nær huset can mean:

The trains are passing near the house (now)
or, as here, The trains (regularly) pass near the house.

In this sentence, together with om natten, it clearly describes a regular, repeated situation at night, not just a single event.

What is the difference between rolig and stille in a sentence like this?

Both relate to quietness, but with a nuance:

rolig = calm, peaceful (about atmosphere, mood, movement)
- Forstaden … er rolig om natten
  = The suburb is calm/peaceful at night.
stille = quiet, silent (about sound level)
- Forstaden … er stille om natten
  = The suburb is quiet/silent at night (little noise).

In practice they overlap, and both could work here.
Rolig emphasizes a peaceful feeling; stille emphasizes low sound. This sentence uses rolig to give a slightly more atmospheric, “calm and peaceful” impression.