Jeg forstår ikke hvorfor toget er sent.

I don’t understand why the train is late.

Breakdown of Jeg forstår ikke hvorfor toget er sent.

• jeg: I
• være: to be
• toget: the train
• sen: late

Questions & Answers about Jeg forstår ikke hvorfor toget er sent.

Why is ikke placed immediately after forstår and not at the end of the sentence?

In Norwegian main clauses the negation ikke normally follows the finite verb. The basic word order is Subject (S) – Finite Verb (V) – Negation (ikke) – Object/Complement. So
• Jeg (S)
• forstår (V)
• ikke (negator)
• hvorfor toget er sent (object clause)

Putting ikke elsewhere (e.g. at the very end) is possible for emphasis but sounds marked.

Why is the subordinate clause hvorfor toget er sent in subject-verb order instead of the verb-subject order used in questions?

Because this is an indirect question (a subordinate clause), not a direct question. In subordinate clauses Norwegian uses normal SVO order. Only direct questions use V2 word order.
• Indirect: … ikke hvorfor toget er sent (SVO)
• Direct: Hvorfor er toget sent? (V2)

What does sent mean here? Is it the same as the English late?

Yes. Sent is an adjective meaning “late” in the sense of “delayed.” So toget er sent literally means “the train is late.”

Can I use seint instead of sent?

Absolutely. Seint is a dialectal/colloquial variant of sent, meaning “late.” In written Bokmål sent is more common, but both are correct and widely understood.