Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Etter foreldrepermisjonen blir hverdagen mer hektisk, men hun savner den. - After parental leave everyday life becomes more hectic, but she misses it.

Etter means after. It’s a preposition that introduces a time reference: Etter foreldrepermisjonen = After the parental leave.
Common alternatives you’ll also see:

etterpå = afterwards (more general, often without an explicit noun)
etter at
- clause = after (something happened) (e.g., etter at permisjonen var over)

What is foreldrepermisjonen, and why is it one long word?

Norwegian often forms compound nouns by joining words:

foreldre = parents / parental
permisjon = leave (from work) So foreldrepermisjon = parental leave.

The ending -en makes it definite singular: foreldrepermisjonen = the parental leave (the specific one being discussed).

Why does foreldrepermisjonen end in -en? Is that “the”?

Yes. In Norwegian, definiteness is usually shown by a suffix attached to the noun:

en permisjon = a leave
permisjonen = the leave

With compounds, the definiteness attaches to the last part of the compound: foreldrepermisjon + en → foreldrepermisjonen.

Why is the verb blir placed before the subject hverdagen?

Because Norwegian has V2 word order in main clauses: the finite verb is in position 2.
Here, the sentence begins with an adverbial phrase (Etter foreldrepermisjonen), so the verb comes next:

Etter foreldrepermisjonen (position 1)
blir (position 2)
hverdagen (subject comes after the verb)

English doesn’t do this, but Norwegian does in main clauses.

What tense is blir, and what does it imply?

blir is present tense of å bli (to become). In this context it’s used for a general or expected development: everyday life becomes more hectic.
Norwegian often uses present tense where English might use future or “will”:

blir can translate as becomes / will become depending on context.

What is the difference between å bli and å være?

å være = to be (a state)
å bli = to become / to get (a change into a new state)

So hverdagen er hektisk = everyday life is hectic (already true), while hverdagen blir mer hektisk = it becomes more hectic (it changes).

Why is it hverdagen and not en hverdag?

hverdagen is definite: the everyday life / the daily routine—the one belonging to her situation.
Using en hverdag would mean a (random) weekday / a (generic) everyday life, which is less natural here.

Also note the meaning: hverdagen often means daily life/routine, not just “a weekday.”

How does mer hektisk work grammatically?

mer forms the comparative for many adjectives, especially longer ones:

hektisk = hectic
mer hektisk = more hectic

Some adjectives take -ere instead (e.g., snill → snillere), but hektisk normally uses mer.

What does men do in the sentence?

men means but and connects two coordinated clauses: 1) Etter foreldrepermisjonen blir hverdagen mer hektisk
2) men hun savner den

It signals contrast: life gets more hectic, but she misses it (the leave).

What does savner mean, and how is it used?

å savne means to miss / to long for someone or something.
It’s transitive, so it usually takes a direct object:

hun savner den = she misses it
jeg savner deg = I miss you

It’s about emotional absence, not “fail to notice.”

What does den refer to, and why is it den (not det)?

den refers back to foreldrepermisjonen (the parental leave).
Pronoun choice depends on grammatical gender:

en-permisjon (common gender) → den
et-barn (neuter) → det

So hun savner den = she misses the parental leave.

Could hun savner den refer to hverdagen instead?

In theory, yes: hverdagen is also common gender (den), so den could match it grammatically.
But meaning-wise it’s much more natural that she misses the parental leave, since the contrast is: daily life becomes hectic, but she misses that earlier period. Context usually makes the reference clear.