Det er viktig at vi kommer tidlig til møtet.

It is important that we arrive early to the meeting.

Breakdown of Det er viktig at vi kommer tidlig til møtet.

• være: to be
• vi: we
• til: to
• det: it
• viktig: important
• at: that
• møte: the meeting
• komme: to arrive
• tidlig: early

Questions & Answers about Det er viktig at vi kommer tidlig til møtet.

What is the overall structure of the sentence "Det er viktig at vi kommer tidlig til møtet."?

This sentence uses a cleft construction. The main clause is “Det er viktig” (“It is important”), where “det” functions as a dummy subject and “viktig” is an adjective describing something unspecified. The subordinate clause “at vi kommer tidlig til møtet” explains what is important. Within that clause, “vi” is the subject, “kommer” is the present tense verb of “å komme,” “tidlig” is an adverb modifying the verb, and “til møtet” is a prepositional phrase indicating the destination (with “møtet” being the definite form of “møte”).

Why is the dummy subject det used at the beginning of the sentence?

In Norwegian, much like in English, a dummy subject is used when the true subject of the sentence appears later. Det serves to satisfy the requirement for an explicit subject in the main clause. The important information (that we come early to the meeting) is provided in the subordinate clause, so det is essentially a placeholder.

What is the function of the conjunction at in this sentence?

The word at introduces the subordinate clause "vi kommer tidlig til møtet." It functions similarly to the English that in sentences like “It is important that we come early to the meeting.” This conjunction connects the main clause to the clause that explains what is considered important.

Why is the verb kommer used instead of the infinitive komme in the subordinate clause?

Kommer is the present tense form of the verb å komme. In Norwegian, even in subordinate clauses, verbs are conjugated according to the subject and tense. Since the sentence conveys that the action of arriving early is expected to occur (now or in the near future), the present tense form kommer is used rather than the infinitive.

Why is the adverb tidlig placed between kommer and til møtet?

In Norwegian, adverbs that describe the time or manner of an action are typically positioned immediately after the finite verb. Here, tidlig (meaning early) comes right after kommer to clearly indicate how the action is performed. Following it, the prepositional phrase til møtet specifies where the action takes place. This word order helps maintain clarity in the sentence.

What does the definite form møtet indicate, and why is it used here?

The noun møtet is the definite form of møte (“meeting”), equivalent to “the meeting” in English. Using the definite form signals that the speaker and listener are already aware of which specific meeting is being referred to, rather than discussing any meeting in general.