Helsesjekken er ferdig; slik sett kan hjemmebesøket starte.

Helsesjekken is a compound noun, which is very common in Norwegian.

It is made up of:

• helse = health
• sjekk = check
• -en = the definite ending

So:

• helsesjekk = health check
• helsesjekken = the health check

Norwegian often joins words together where English would use two separate words. So instead of health check, Norwegian writes helsesjekk as one word.

The ending -en marks the noun as definite, meaning the.

For many masculine nouns:

• en sjekk = a check
• sjekken = the check

Since helsesjekk is treated as a masculine noun, the definite singular form becomes helsesjekken.

So Helsesjekken er ferdig means The health check is finished.

In Norwegian, være ferdig is a very common way to say that something is finished, done, or completed.

So:

• er ferdig = is finished / is done

This is often more natural in Norwegian than trying to translate English very literally.

Examples:

• Jeg er ferdig. = I am finished / I am done
• Møtet er ferdig. = The meeting is finished
• Helsesjekken er ferdig. = The health check is finished

You could sometimes also use other verbs depending on context, but er ferdig is extremely normal and idiomatic.

Slik sett means something like:

• seen that way
• in that respect
• from that point of view
• in that sense

It links the first part of the sentence to the second part and shows a kind of logical conclusion.

So here:

• Helsesjekken er ferdig; slik sett kan hjemmebesøket starte.

means that because the health check is done, the home visit can now begin.

Slik sett is a slightly formal or explanatory expression. In everyday speech, people might also use things like:

• derfor = therefore
• så = so
• da = then

But slik sett has a more nuanced meaning, closer to in that sense.

The semicolon connects two closely related independent clauses.

The two parts are:

• Helsesjekken er ferdig
• slik sett kan hjemmebesøket starte

A semicolon is used when the writer wants to show a strong connection between the two statements without making them separate sentences.

You could also write:

• Helsesjekken er ferdig. Slik sett kan hjemmebesøket starte.

or even, depending on style:

• Helsesjekken er ferdig, så hjemmebesøket kan starte.

The semicolon is a stylistic punctuation choice. It often feels a bit more formal or written.

This is because Norwegian usually follows the V2 rule, which means the finite verb must come in the second position in a main clause.

Here, slik sett comes first. Once that happens, the finite verb must come next:

• Slik sett = first position
• kan = second position
• hjemmebesøket = subject after the verb

So:

• Slik sett kan hjemmebesøket starte.

This is correct.

A more basic word order would be:

• Hjemmebesøket kan starte.

But when you move slik sett to the front, the verb still has to stay in second position:

• Slik sett kan hjemmebesøket starte.

This kind of inversion is very common in Norwegian.

Hjemmebesøket is another compound noun.

It is made up of:

• hjemme = at home
• besøk = visit
• -et = the definite ending

So:

• hjemmebesøk = home visit
• hjemmebesøket = the home visit

Again, Norwegian often combines ideas into one noun where English would use two words.

The ending -et shows that this noun is neuter and definite singular.

Kan often means can, but that can express different ideas in Norwegian, just as in English.

Here it most likely means something like:

• it is now possible for the home visit to begin
• the home visit may now begin
• the home visit can now start

So this is less about direct permission and more about possibility or readiness due to the previous step being completed.

Because the health check is finished, the next stage is now able to happen.

Because it follows the modal verb kan.

In Norwegian, after modal verbs such as:

• kan = can
• skal = shall / will
• må = must
• vil = want to / will
• bør = ought to

the next verb normally appears in the infinitive without å.

So:

• kan starte = can start
• not kan å starte

This is exactly like English in a lot of cases:

• can start
• not can to start

Yes. Norwegian often uses the present tense in places where English also can.

In this sentence:

• er ferdig = is finished
• kan ... starte = can start

The first clause describes the current situation, and the second clause describes what is now possible as a result.

So even though the home visit starts after the health check, the sentence still naturally uses present tense because it is describing the present state and present possibility.

Yes, often it could.

Both starte and begynne can mean start or begin.

So you could say:

• Hjemmebesøket kan starte
• Hjemmebesøket kan begynne

Both are understandable and natural.

That said, there can be small style differences:

• starte can sound a bit more like starting a process or event
• begynne is a very general word for beginning

In this sentence, starte works very well.

Yes, it sounds somewhat formal or administrative, especially because of:

• slik sett
• the semicolon
• the overall structured phrasing

In everyday speech, a person might say something simpler, such as:

• Helsesjekken er ferdig, så hjemmebesøket kan starte.
• Nå er helsesjekken ferdig, så vi kan starte hjemmebesøket.

The original sentence is perfectly correct, but it feels more like written Norwegian or professional communication than casual conversation.