Det er bare å sjekke bruktvaren, porselenet og lampeskjermen.

You just have to check the second-hand item, the porcelain, and the lampshade.

Breakdown of Det er bare å sjekke bruktvaren, porselenet og lampeskjermen.

• være: to be
• å: to
• og: and
• det: it

Questions & Answers about Det er bare å sjekke bruktvaren, porselenet og lampeskjermen.

What does Det er bare å mean in this sentence?

Det er bare å + infinitive is a very common Norwegian pattern meaning something like:

• you just have to ...
• all you need to do is ...
• just ...

So Det er bare å sjekke ... means that checking those things is the simple or obvious next step. It often sounds a little encouraging or matter-of-fact.

For example:

• Det er bare å spørre. = Just ask.
• Det er bare å begynne. = Just start.

Why does the sentence start with det?

Here det is a dummy subject or formal subject. It does not refer to a specific thing like it often does in English.

Norwegian often uses det in general statements and fixed expressions:

• Det er vanskelig. = It is difficult.
• Det er fint å være her. = It is nice to be here.
• Det er bare å sjekke ...

So in this sentence, det is there because Norwegian grammar wants a subject in that position, even though the sentence is really about the action å sjekke.

Why is it å sjekke and not sjekker or sjekk?