Subordinate Clauses

01

The Joining Words

• at - that
• fordi - because
• hvis - if
• når - when (now, in the future, or every time)
• da - when (one time in the past)
• selv om - even though, even if
• mens - while
• før - before
• etter at - after
• til - until
• så - so that

• Jeg trenger bil fordi jeg må kjøre til jobb.

  I need a car because I have to drive to work.

• Jeg kan ikke studere mens jeg sover.

  I can't study while I sleep.

• Du går rett frem til du ser en gul bygning.

  You walk straight ahead until you see a yellow building.

• Hun åpner døren så jeg kan komme inn.

  She opens the door so that I can come in.

02

Word Order: Subject Before Verb

Inside a subordinate clause the subject always comes before the verb, whatever starts the clause.

• Jeg tar et bad før jeg legger meg.

  I take a bath before I go to bed.

• Hun lukket døren etter at jeg kom inn.

  She closed the door after I came in.

03

ikke and Other Short Adverbs Before the Verb

Short adverbs such as ikke (not), aldri (never), alltid (always) and ofte (often) come before the verb in a subordinate clause, while in a main clause they follow it.

• Jeg kommer ikke i dag.

  I am not coming today.

• Jeg ringer for å si at jeg ikke kommer i dag.

  I am calling to say that I am not coming today.

• Jeg bestod eksamen, selv om jeg ikke studerte.

  I passed the exam, even though I didn't study.

04

Cause and Effect: fordi and så

fordi (because) introduces the cause and starts a subordinate clause. så on its own, meaning "so" or "therefore", introduces the effect and simply joins two main clauses, so the order after it is the ordinary main-clause order.

• Jeg ble hjemme fordi jeg var syk.

  I stayed at home because I was ill.

• Jeg var syk, så jeg ble hjemme.

  I was ill, so I stayed at home.

05

Leaving Out at

After verbs of saying, thinking and hoping, at (that) is often left out, as "that" is in English.

• Jeg tror du er syk.

  I think you are ill.

• Legen sier jeg blir borte en uke.

  The doctor says I will be away for a week.

• Vi håper du får en fin flytur.

  We hope you have a nice flight.

06

A Subordinate Clause First

When the subordinate clause opens the sentence, it counts as the first element of the main clause. The main clause therefore starts with its verb, and the subject follows.

• Når jeg studerer, blir jeg veldig trøtt.

  When I study, I get very tired.

• Selv om jeg drikker kaffe, sovner jeg fortsatt.

  Even though I drink coffee, I still fall asleep.

07

Questions Inside a Sentence

A question word can also start a subordinate clause, after verbs like vite (know) and spørre (ask). The subject comes before the verb here too, and "whether" is om.

• Jeg vet ikke hvor han bor.

  I don't know where he lives.

• Jeg vet ikke om han kommer.

  I don't know whether he is coming.