Vi kan bruke livlinen, ikke sant?

Because kan is a modal verb in Norwegian, and modal verbs are followed by the bare infinitive.

So you get:

• vi kan bruke = we can use
• not vi kan å bruke

This is similar to English:

• we can use
• not we can to use

Other common Norwegian modal verbs work the same way:

• jeg må gå = I must go
• du vil spise = you want to eat
• han skal jobbe = he will/is going to work

So after kan, the verb stays in the infinitive form without å.

Kan is the present tense of kunne, and it usually means can, be able to, or sometimes may depending on context.

In this sentence, it most likely expresses:

• possibility: we can use the lifeline
• or permission/option: we’re allowed to / we have the option to use the lifeline

Norwegian kan often covers both ideas, just like English can.

Livlinen is the definite singular form of livline.

• en livline = a lifeline
• livlinen = the lifeline

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like the in English.

So:

• en bil = a car
• bilen = the car

The same pattern is used here:

• en livline
• livlinen

Depending on dialect and gender usage in Bokmål, you may also see feminine-style forms with some nouns, but livlinen is a perfectly normal Bokmål form.

Because Norwegian usually marks definiteness by attaching it to the noun.

Compare English and Norwegian:

• a house → et hus
• the house → huset

So instead of saying something like the lifeline, Norwegian says livlinen, where -en carries the meaning of the.

This is one of the most important patterns in Norwegian grammar.

Ikke sant? is a very common conversational tag that means something like:

• right?
• isn’t that so?
• okay?
• don’t you agree?

It is used to ask for confirmation from the listener.

So:

• Vi kan bruke livlinen, ikke sant?

has the feel of:

• We can use the lifeline, right?

It is not a literal word-for-word equivalent of English isn’t it?, but it often serves the same function.

Both are possible, but they mean slightly different things.

• Kan vi bruke livlinen? = a straightforward yes/no question: Can we use the lifeline?
• Vi kan bruke livlinen, ikke sant? = a statement plus a confirmation tag: We can use the lifeline, right?

The second version often suggests that the speaker already thinks the answer is yes and just wants confirmation.

So the difference is more about tone and expectation than basic meaning.

Yes. The main clause Vi kan bruke livlinen has normal Norwegian statement word order:

• Vi = subject
• kan = finite verb
• bruke = infinitive
• livlinen = object

So the structure is:

• Subject + finite verb + infinitive + object

This is completely standard.

If it were a direct question, Norwegian would normally invert the subject and finite verb:

• Kan vi bruke livlinen?

That contrast is very useful to learn:

• Vi kan bruke ... = statement
• Kan vi bruke ...? = question

Because ikke sant? is added as a tag or parenthetical comment to the main clause.

The comma helps separate:

• the main statement: Vi kan bruke livlinen
• the confirmation tag: ikke sant?

This is similar to English writing:

• We can use the lifeline, right?

In informal writing, punctuation can sometimes vary, but the comma is normal and helpful here.

Yes. It is very flexible and can be attached to many kinds of statements when you want agreement or confirmation.

For example:

• Det er dyrt, ikke sant? = It’s expensive, right?
• Du kommer i morgen, ikke sant? = You’re coming tomorrow, right?
• Hun er norsk, ikke sant? = She’s Norwegian, right?

So you do not need to build a special English-style tag question every time. Norwegian often just uses ikke sant? as an all-purpose tag.

It is common in everyday spoken Norwegian and is generally neutral to informal.

It sounds natural in conversation, but like similar tags in English such as right?, it can feel repetitive if used too often.

In more formal contexts, people may simply ask a direct question instead, depending on the situation.

So it is very useful, but it is best learned as a natural conversational expression, not something to attach to every sentence.

The main clause is usually said fairly normally, and then ikke sant? gets a questioning intonation at the end.

So the voice often falls through the statement and then rises slightly on the tag:

• Vi kan bruke livlinen, ikke sant?

That intonation helps show that the speaker is asking for confirmation, not just making a plain statement.

In natural speech, ikke sant may also be pronounced a bit more quickly and smoothly than a beginner might expect, especially in casual conversation.