Breakdown of Hvis du vil slutte tidlig, må du spørre sjefen om lov.
du
you
måtte
must
ville
to want
tidlig
early
hvis
if
sjefen
the boss
slutte
to quit
spørre om lov
to ask for permission
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Norwegian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Hvis du vil slutte tidlig, må du spørre sjefen om lov.
What does slutte mean in this sentence, and how is it different from stoppe?
Here slutte means “to finish” or “to quit” an activity (like ending your workday). Stoppe generally means “to halt” or “bring something to a stop” (e.g. stop a car, stop talking). When you talk about ending work or an action, you use slutte, not stoppe.
Why isn’t there an å before slutte after vil?
Vil is a modal verb (like English “want to”), and modals in Norwegian take a bare infinitive (infinitive without å). So you say vil slutte, not vil å slutte.
What does the phrase spørre om lov literally mean, and can I translate it word-for-word?
Literally it’s “ask about permission,” but it’s an idiom meaning “ask for permission.” You cannot translate om as “for” directly in Norwegian; you need the set phrase spørre om lov.
Why does the main clause read må du spørre instead of du må spørre?
Because of the V2 (verb-second) word order in Norwegian main clauses. The subordinate clause Hvis du vil slutte tidlig counts as the first element, so the finite verb må moves to position two, before the subject du.
What kind of verb is må, and how does it work with the infinitive?
Må is a modal verb meaning “must” or “have to.” Like vil, it takes a bare infinitive after it. So må du spørre = “you must ask,” and må du spørre + verb-infinitive.
What does vil mean here? Does it mean “will” as in the future tense?
No, in Norwegian vil is the present of ville, meaning “want to.” It does not mark future tense. Norwegians often use the present tense for future events, so to say “if you finish early” you could simply say Hvis du slutter tidlig…
Why is sjefen in the definite form? Shouldn’t it be indefinite like en sjef?
In Norwegian you attach the definite article to the end of the noun. Sjef means “a boss,” sjefen means “the boss.” Here you’re referring to your (specific) boss, so you use the definite form sjefen.
Can I use a different verb instead of spørre, for example be sjefen om lov?
Yes. Be om lov (“ask for permission”) is a common alternative. Be sjefen om lov and spørre sjefen om lov are both correct; spørre feels a bit more neutral, while be can sound slightly more formal or polite.