Breakdown of Bekymringen blir mindre når saksbehandleren ringer og forklarer alt rolig.
Questions & Answers about Bekymringen blir mindre når saksbehandleren ringer og forklarer alt rolig.
Norwegian often marks definiteness by adding an ending to the noun.
- bekymring = a worry / worry (in general)
- bekymringen = the worry / that worry (definite singular, common gender)
So the sentence is talking about a specific worry (the one in the situation), not worry in general.
blir is the present tense of bli (to become / to get). In this sentence it expresses a change of state:
- Bekymringen blir mindre = The worry becomes / gets smaller
Using er would describe a static state:
- Bekymringen er mindre = The worry is smaller (compared to something else), not necessarily changing.
Not here. Norwegian bli + past participle can form a passive (e.g., det blir gjort = it is done), but mindre is not a past participle—it’s a comparative adjective/adverb meaning smaller/less.
So blir mindre is simply becomes less / becomes smaller.
mindre is the comparative form of liten (small) and also used for less in the sense of “reduced amount/degree.”
- liten → mindre (comparative)
- minst (superlative)
Here it means the degree of worry decreases: less worried.
After når (when), you get a subordinate clause, and Norwegian subordinate clauses use subject–verb order (no inversion):
- når saksbehandleren ringer (subject saksbehandleren
- verb ringer)
In main clauses, Norwegian often has verb-second (V2) order, but that rule does not create inversion inside når-clauses.
It’s a compound noun plus the definite ending:
- sak = case/matter
- behandler = handler/processor (someone who handles something)
- saksbehandler = caseworker / case handler
- saksbehandleren = the caseworker (definite singular)
Norwegian makes compounds very freely, which is why these words can look long.
Because the sentence implies a specific person in the situation: the caseworker involved in your case. Norwegian commonly uses the definite form when the person/object is understood as specific from context.
This is coordination: og (and) links two verbs that share the same subject (saksbehandleren):
- (saksbehandleren) ringer og forklarer = (the caseworker) calls and explains
Norwegian (like English) often omits repeating the subject in the second coordinated verb phrase.
Both are present tense:
- ringer = calls / is calling
- forklarer = explains / is explaining
Norwegian present tense can also refer to the near future when context supports it (like English He calls tomorrow is unusual, but Norwegian uses present more broadly). Here it typically describes a general/typical situation: the worry decreases when the caseworker calls and explains.
alt means everything / it all. It’s the neuter form of all:
- all (common gender)
- alt (neuter)
- alle (plural)
When alt means “everything” as a general object, Norwegian uses this neuter form regardless of what is being explained.
In forklarer alt rolig, rolig functions like an adverb meaning calmly. It describes how the explaining is done:
- explains everything calmly
It can imply the caseworker’s calm manner, but grammatically it modifies the verb phrase (forklarer), not directly the person.
Yes, Norwegian allows some flexibility, but placement can shift emphasis. Common options:
- ... forklarer alt rolig. (neutral: calmly explains everything)
- ... forklarer rolig alt. (often also fine; may sound slightly more “calmly” emphasized)
- ... rolig forklarer alt. (possible, more stylistic/marked)
The original placement after alt is very natural.
A practical guide (varies by dialect, but useful as a starting point):
- bekymringen: the -ng- is typically like the ng in sing (a velar nasal sound).
- blir: often sounds like bleer with a rolled/flapped r depending on dialect (eastern Norwegian often has a “light” tap).
- mindre: the d can be fairly soft; many dialects make it less distinct in fast speech.
If you tell me which dialect you’re learning (e.g., Oslo/Eastern vs. Bergen/Western), I can give a closer pronunciation cue.