Vi må hemmeligholde planen.

Because må is a modal verb. In Norwegian, modal verbs like kan, skal, vil, må, bør are normally followed by the bare infinitive, without å.

So:

• Vi må hemmeligholde planen. = We must keep the plan secret.
• not Vi må å hemmeligholde planen.

This is similar to English must keep, not must to keep.

Må usually means must or have to. It expresses necessity or obligation.

In this sentence, Vi må hemmeligholde planen means that keeping the plan secret is necessary.

A few related forms:

• må = must / have to
• måtte = had to / must in some contexts
• må can also sometimes mean be likely to depending on context, but here it clearly means must

Yes, hemmeligholde is one word.

It is made from:

• hemmelig = secret
• holde = hold / keep

So the idea is literally something like keep secret.

This kind of compound verb is very common in Norwegian. Even if the parts are familiar, the full verb often has its own established meaning.

Not quite.

Hemmeligholde means keep secret, keep concealed from others, or not reveal. It often refers to information, plans, facts, decisions, identities, and similar things.

Hide in English can also mean physically conceal an object, but hemmeligholde is more about secrecy than physical hiding.

For example:

• hemmeligholde planen = keep the plan secret
• skjule nøkkelen = hide the key

So in this sentence, hemmeligholde is a very natural choice because planen is information, not a physical object you literally hide somewhere.

Planen is the definite singular form of plan.

• en plan = a plan
• planen = the plan

Norwegian often adds the definite article to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English the.

So:

• Vi må hemmeligholde en plan = We must keep a plan secret
• Vi må hemmeligholde planen = We must keep the plan secret

This is standard Norwegian main-clause word order:

• Vi = subject
• må = finite verb
• hemmeligholde planen = infinitive phrase + object

So the structure is:

Subject + finite verb + infinitive + object

This is very normal when a modal verb is used.

Compare:

• Vi må vente. = We must wait.
• Jeg kan hjelpe deg. = I can help you.
• De vil kjøpe huset. = They want to buy the house.

Usually, learners should treat hemmeligholde as one verb.

In many everyday sentences, it stays together:

• Vi må hemmeligholde planen.
• De hemmeligholder resultatene.

You may sometimes see related forms where the parts look more visible because of inflection, such as:

• å hemmeligholde
• hemmeligholder
• hemmeligholdt

But for practical learning, it is best to remember it as a single verb meaning to keep secret.

The finite verb må is in the present tense, but with modal verbs, English often translates it with must rather than a simple present form.

So:

• Vi må hemmeligholde planen. = We must keep the plan secret.

It refers to a present obligation, and depending on context it may also apply to the immediate future.

A rough learner-friendly breakdown is:

HEM-me-li-hol-de

A few useful points:

• hemmelig sounds roughly like HEM-me-li
• the g in hemmelig is often weak or silent in many pronunciations
• holde is roughly HOL-de

So the full verb flows together as something like:

HEM-me-li-hol-de

If you are learning pronunciation, it is best to listen to native audio, because the exact pronunciation can vary by dialect and speed.

It sounds fairly neutral to slightly formal.

Hemmeligholde is a normal word, but it can sound a bit more formal or official than simpler everyday alternatives such as:

• holde planen hemmelig = keep the plan secret
• ikke røpe planen = not reveal the plan

So:

• Vi må hemmeligholde planen. sounds natural and correct
• Vi må holde planen hemmelig. may feel a little more conversational in many contexts

Yes, absolutely.

Both are natural:

• Vi må hemmeligholde planen.
• Vi må holde planen hemmelig.

The second version is often easier for learners because it is more transparent:

• holde = keep
• hemmelig = secret

Both mean essentially the same thing. The first uses a single compound verb; the second uses a verb plus an adjective.

In a yes/no question, Norwegian usually puts the finite verb first:

• Må vi hemmeligholde planen? = Must we keep the plan secret?

This is a common pattern:

• Vi må dra. → Må vi dra?
• Du kan komme. → Kan du komme?

So only the word order changes; the meaning of the main words stays the same.