Jeg måtte jobbe i dag.

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Breakdown of Jeg måtte jobbe i dag.

• jobbe: to work
• i: in
• måtte: must
• dag: the day

Questions & Answers about Jeg måtte jobbe i dag.

Why is måtte used instead of må in this sentence?

In Norwegian, måtte is the past tense form of må (meaning "must" or "have to"). Since the speaker is talking about having to work earlier today, the past tense form måtte is required.

Does the word order always place i dag (today) at the end of the sentence?

Not necessarily. In Norwegian, i dag can appear in different positions depending on emphasis. For example, you could say I dag måtte jeg jobbe to stress that it was specifically today you had to work. However, Jeg måtte jobbe i dag is the most common and neutral word order.

Can you leave out jeg in Norwegian like subjects can be dropped in some languages?

No, Norwegian usually requires the subject. It isn’t a pro-drop language; you normally need to include jeg (I), du (you), and so on.

Are there any special rules for pronouncing måtte?

A good approximation is to pronounce it as "MAH-tuh" with a short o sound. Pay attention to the double t, which gives it a slightly sharper consonant sound.

Does i dag ever change its form?

No, i dag always appears in this form when referring to "today." If you want to talk about "tomorrow," you use i morgen, and for "yesterday," you use i går.