Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Bekymringen er størst når meldingen ikke kommer. - The worry is greatest when the message doesn’t arrive.

Bekymringen is the definite form: bekymring = worry/concern, bekymringen = the worry/the concern (the one we’re talking about). Norwegian often uses the definite form when referring to a specific, understood concern in context.

What does the -en ending in bekymringen mean?

-en marks definite singular for many common-gender nouns.

en bekymring = a worry (indefinite)
bekymringen = the worry (definite)

Why is it er størst and not er store/stor?

Because størst is the superlative of stor:

stor = big/great
større = bigger/greater (comparative)
størst = biggest/greatest (superlative)

So Bekymringen er størst means the worry is at its maximum/most intense point.

What’s the difference between størst and største?

størst is typically used as a predicate superlative (after er/blir/virker etc.): Bekymringen er størst.
største is typically used before a noun (attributive), often with a determiner: den største bekymringen = the biggest worry.

Both relate to “biggest/greatest,” but the form depends on position and structure.

Why does the sentence use når?

Når introduces a time clause meaning when (i.e., “at the time that…”). It fits situations that can be general or repeatable: “The worry is greatest when the message doesn’t arrive.”

How is når different from da or hvis?

når = when (general/repeated situations; also future “when”)
da = when (often a specific past occasion)
hvis = if (a condition rather than a time)

So når meldingen ikke kommer frames it as a “when this happens” situation.

Why is the word order meldingen ikke kommer and not meldingen kommer ikke?

Because når introduces a subordinate clause, and in Norwegian subordinate clauses normally put the negation (ikke) before the verb:

Main clause: Meldingen kommer ikke.
Subordinate clause: …når meldingen ikke kommer.

This is a standard subordinate-clause pattern.

Why is it meldingen (definite) instead of en melding?

meldingen implies a specific, expected message (for example, “the message we’re waiting for”).
If you said en melding, it would sound more like “a message (any message)”—less specific.

Does kommer here mean “is coming” or “comes,” and can it refer to the future?

kommer is present tense, and Norwegian present tense often covers:

habitual/general present: “doesn’t arrive/doesn’t come”
near future (depending on context): “doesn’t come (as expected/soon)”

So it can work even if the situation is about something you’re waiting for now or later.

Could you also say ikke har kommet instead of ikke kommer?

Yes, and the nuance changes:

når meldingen ikke kommer = when it doesn’t arrive (as expected; a general “non-arrival” situation)
når meldingen ikke har kommet = when it hasn’t arrived (by a certain point; focuses more on “up to now/by then”)

Both are possible; the choice depends on what time perspective you want.

Is bekymring the same as bekymringen in meaning, or is there a nuance?

The core meaning is the same (worry/concern), but the form changes reference:

bekymring is unspecific/indefinite (a worry in general)
bekymringen points to a particular concern already identifiable in the context (the worry you feel in that situation).

How would you pronounce tricky words like bekymringen and størst?

A practical guide:

bekymringen: stress is typically on -kym- (be-KYM-ri-nen), with the final -en sounding like a weak -ən.
størst: the ø is like the vowel in many British pronunciations of her (but with rounded lips). The final -rst cluster is pronounced clearly: størst.