Når alt kommer til alt, må skapdøren justeres.

must

Breakdown of Når alt kommer til alt, må skapdøren justeres.

• justere: to adjust
• skapdøren: the cabinet door
• når alt kommer til alt: when all is said and done; ultimately

Questions & Answers about Når alt kommer til alt, må skapdøren justeres.

What does Når alt kommer til alt mean, and is it an idiom?

Yes. Når alt kommer til alt is an idiomatic expression. Literally, it looks like when everything comes to everything, but that is not how you should understand it in practice.

It means something like:

• when all is said and done
• in the end
• after all
• when it comes down to it

So the phrase introduces a final conclusion or bottom line.

Why is når used here? It usually means when, but this does not seem very literal.

That is a very natural question. On its own, når usually does mean when, but in this fixed expression, you should learn the whole phrase Når alt kommer til alt as one unit.

So although når still contributes the idea of when, the full expression functions more like an English set phrase such as when all is said and done. It is not meant to be interpreted word by word.

Why is there a comma after Når alt kommer til alt?

The comma separates the introductory phrase from the main clause.

• Når alt kommer til alt, = introductory expression
• må skapdøren justeres = main statement

This is similar to English punctuation in sentences like After all, the cabinet door needs to be adjusted.

Why does må come right after the opening phrase?