Learn Hardcore Norwegian: I juni tar jeg fri, så jeg kan slappe av hjemme. - In June I take time off, so I can relax at home.

i juni = “in June” (time period inside that month)
på is more typical for days/parts of days or more “surface-like” time expressions (e.g., på mandag, på kvelden).
om often means “in (about)” for future time from now, or “around/at” in some set phrases (e.g., om en uke = “in a week”).

Why is it tar jeg fri and not jeg tar fri?

Because Norwegian follows the V2 rule in main clauses: the finite verb must be in the second position.
Here, I juni is placed first (position 1), so the verb tar must come next (position 2), and then the subject jeg comes after:

I juni (1) + tar (2) + jeg
- fri
  If you start with the subject, you get the more neutral order:
Jeg tar fri i juni.

What does tar fri literally mean, and is it a fixed expression?

Yes, it’s a very common expression meaning to take time off / take leave. Literally it’s “take free (time)”.
You’ll see it in several forms:

Jeg tar fri = I’m taking time off
Jeg har fri = I have the day off / I’m off
Jeg tok fri = I took time off
You can also specify how long:
Jeg tar fri en uke. = I’m taking a week off.

Why is there a comma before så?

Because så here links two clauses and works like so / so that. The comma marks the boundary between: 1) the main clause: I juni tar jeg fri,
2) the following clause: så jeg kan slappe av hjemme.
In Norwegian it’s normal to use a comma when connecting clauses like this.

Does så mean so or then here?

In this sentence, så means so / so that (as a result).
Norwegian så can also mean then, especially in sequences (e.g., Først spiser vi, så går vi = “First we eat, then we go”).
Here it’s expressing purpose/result: taking time off so that you can relax.

Why is it kan slappe av (present tense) and not something like “will relax”?

Norwegian commonly uses kan (“can / be able to”) to express the idea of having the opportunity to do something:

så jeg kan slappe av = “so I can relax” / “so I’ll be able to relax”
Even if it refers to the future, Norwegian often keeps present tense after time expressions and in many future contexts. The future meaning comes from context (In June).

Why is the word order så jeg kan ... and not så kan jeg ...?

Both can be correct, but they mean slightly different things and are used in different structures.

1) ..., så jeg kan slappe av hjemme.
This is a clause introduced by så meaning “so that / so (that)”. It behaves like a normal clause: subject jeg comes before the verb kan.

2) ..., så kan jeg slappe av hjemme.
This is more like “..., and then I can relax at home” or “..., so I can relax at home” with så acting more like an adverb/connector, and then it becomes a main clause with V2 word order (kan second).

In short:

så jeg kan ... = “so that I can ...” (very purpose/result-like)
så kan jeg ... = often “then I can ... / so I can ...” with a more main-clause feel

Is slappe av one verb or two words, and how does it work?

It’s a common Norwegian phrasal verb: å slappe av = “to relax”.

slappe is the verb, and av is a particle that belongs with it.
In different sentences, the particle can sometimes move in certain constructions, but the safest learning approach is to treat slappe av as a unit:
Jeg slapper av hjemme. = I relax at home.
Jeg vil slappe av. = I want to relax.

Why is it hjemme and not hjem?

hjemme means at home (location), while hjem means (to) home (direction/movement).

slappe av hjemme = relax at home (no movement)
dra hjem = go home (movement toward home)

Could the sentence also be I juni tar jeg ferie? What’s the difference between fri and ferie?

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly.

ta fri is general: taking time off (a day, a week, unpaid/paid—context decides).
ta ferie specifically means going on holiday/vacation (often longer and more “vacation-like”).

So:

I juni tar jeg fri = In June I’m taking time off.
I juni tar jeg ferie = In June I’m taking vacation.

Why is it I juni and not I JunIen or something with an ending?

Month names in Norwegian typically don’t take endings in this kind of time expression. You simply say:

i juni, i juli, i august
No definite form is used here because you mean the time period “in June” generally, not “in the June (that we’ve already mentioned)” as a noun phrase.

How would you pronounce this sentence, especially juni, fri, and slappe av?

A rough pronunciation guide (varies by dialect):

I juni: ee YOO-nee (the j is like English y)
tar jeg fri: tahr yai free (many dialects pronounce jeg like yai or jæi)
så jeg kan slappe av hjemme: so yai kahn SLAH-peh av HEM-meh

Key points:

j in juni sounds like y.
slappe has a short a sound (like “ah”), and double consonants usually signal a short vowel.
hjemme starts with hj-, which many speakers pronounce close to just y- or a softened h+y sound depending on dialect.