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Questions & Answers about Jeg må kontrollere passet.
What does må mean in this sentence?
må is a modal verb meaning must/have to. It expresses necessity or obligation. So Jeg må kontrollere passet translates to “I have to check/inspect the passport.”
Does må change form for different persons?
No. må is invariant across all subjects. You use må with jeg, du, han, vi, de, etc. (e.g., jeg må, du må, vi må).
Why is passet in the definite form?
In Norwegian, you add -et to make a neuter noun definite. pass (passport) becomes passet (the passport). Here you refer to a specific passport, so you use the definite form.
Could I use sjekke instead of kontrollere?
Yes. sjekke is more informal (“to check”), while kontrollere sounds more formal or thorough (“to inspect”). Both verbs work; choose based on register.
Why is there no preposition before passet?
kontrollere is a transitive verb that takes a direct object without a preposition. You simply say kontrollere passet (check the passport).
Why is må placed after jeg and before kontrollere?
Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 (verb-second) rule: the finite verb (må) comes in second position, right after the subject (or whatever element is first).
Could I say Jeg trenger å kontrollere passet instead?
Yes. trenger å kontrollere (“need to check”) is grammatically correct. It’s softer than må, implying a need rather than an obligation.
How is the å in må pronounced, and what about the final -ere in kontrollere?
The å in må sounds like the o in English “more” (without pronouncing the r). The final -ere in kontrollere has two unstressed e’s; the r is a lightly rolled or uvular r, depending on dialect.