Questions & Answers about Det regner i dag, så vi holder oss inne.
Why does the sentence start with det? What does det refer to?
In weather expressions, Norwegian uses det as a dummy subject (like English it in it’s raining). It doesn’t refer to anything specific; it’s just there because Norwegian clauses normally need a subject.
Why is it Det regner and not Det er regn?
Norwegian usually expresses “it’s raining” with the verb regne: Det regner.
Det er regn is possible but sounds more like “There is rain / It is rainy (in a factual way)” and is less idiomatic than using the verb.
What tense is regner, and does it also cover “it is raining (right now)”?
regner is present tense. In Norwegian, the present tense commonly covers both:
- habitual/general present (“it rains a lot here”), and
- ongoing present (“it’s raining right now”), depending on context. Here i dag makes it clearly “today (now/these hours).”
Where can i dag go in the sentence? Is the placement fixed?