Hammeren var dyr, men det er en utgift jeg kan leve med.

The hammer was expensive, but it is an expense I can live with.

Breakdown of Hammeren var dyr, men det er en utgift jeg kan leve med.

• jeg: I
• være: to be
• en: a
• det: it

Questions & Answers about Hammeren var dyr, men det er en utgift jeg kan leve med.

Why does the sentence switch from past to present: var … but er?

Var is past tense and refers to the hammer’s price in the past context: Hammeren var dyr (the hammer was expensive).
After men, Norwegian often uses present tense to express a general, still-true attitude or evaluation right now: det er en utgift jeg kan leve med (it is an expense I can live with).
English does this too sometimes: The hammer was expensive, but it’s something I can live with.

Why is it hammeren and not en hammer?

Hammeren is the definite form: hammer + -en = the hammer (common gender). It implies a specific hammer already known in the context.
En hammer would mean a hammer (not specific).

What does dyr mean here, and does it change form?