Breakdown of Jeg må lytte til deg fordi du har en viktig idé.
jeg
I
du
you
ha
to have
en
a
fordi
because
viktig
important
deg
you
måtte
have to
lytte til
to listen
idé
the idea
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Questions & Answers about Jeg må lytte til deg fordi du har en viktig idé.
What does the modal verb må indicate in this sentence?
It expresses necessity or obligation. In this context, må translates to “must” or “have to,” meaning that the speaker is required to listen.
Why is the phrase lytte til deg used instead of just lytte?
In Norwegian, the verb lytte requires the preposition til when referring to the person or thing being listened to. So lytte til deg literally means “listen to you.” Omitting til would be grammatically incorrect.
What role does the conjunction fordi play?
Fordi is a subordinating conjunction that means “because.” It introduces the reason for the action in the main clause, linking “I must listen to you” with the explanation “you have an important idea.”
How is the phrase en viktig idé constructed?
The phrase breaks down as follows: en is the indefinite article (equivalent to “a”), viktig means “important,” and idé means “idea.” Together, they form “an important idea.” The article en is used because idé is treated as a common gender noun.
Is the word order in this sentence similar to English, and are there any notable differences?
Yes, the overall structure resembles English. The main clause “Jeg må lytte til deg” follows a subject–modal verb–main verb–object order similar to “I must listen to you.” However, Norwegian requires specific prepositions (like til after lytte) and uses a subordinating conjunction (fordi) to join the clauses without altering the standard word order within the subordinate clause.
Why is the word idé sometimes written with an accent on the final letter?
The accent on idé helps indicate the proper pronunciation and can differentiate it from similar words. In Norwegian, such diacritical marks often guide stress and vowel quality, especially in words borrowed from other languages.