Du burde drikke vann før du spiser brød.

you

Breakdown of Du burde drikke vann før du spiser brød.

• spise: to eat
• brødet: the bread
• drikke: to drink

Questions & Answers about Du burde drikke vann før du spiser brød.

Why is there no å before drikke in Du burde drikke vann før du spiser brød?

In Norwegian, when you use a modal verb like burde (should), the following main verb appears in the bare infinitive—without å. So instead of burde å drikke, you say burde drikke.

What exactly does burde mean, and how is it different from bør?

Burde is the past tense form of bør, but in modern usage both can express advice.

• Du bør drikke vann feels like a direct “you should.”
• Du burde drikke vann can sound slightly more tentative or polite, almost like “you ought to.”
  Both are common for giving suggestions, but burde often softens it.

Why is spiser in the present tense even though it refers to something you’ll do after drinking water?

Norwegian typically uses the present tense for general or planned actions, rather than a separate future tense. Saying før du spiser brød covers “before you eat” in a general or upcoming sense. There’s no need for a future form—context tells you it’s a future event.

Why aren’t there articles before vann and brød? Wouldn’t English say “the water” or “the bread”?