Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Oppskriften sier at jeg må redusere varmen etter fem minutter. - The recipe says that I must reduce the heat after five minutes.

Oppskrift means “recipe,” and to say “the recipe” in Norwegian you add the definite suffix -en (common gender), yielding oppskriften. Unlike English, Norwegian marks the definite article on the noun itself.

What does sier at mean, and why is at needed here?

Sier means “says.” At is a subordinating conjunction equivalent to English that, introducing the clause jeg må redusere varmen…. In written Norwegian it’s standard to keep at, though speakers sometimes drop it in casual speech.

Why do we say må redusere without å before redusere?

After modal verbs like må, skal, vil, the infinitive marker å is omitted. So you say jeg må redusere, not jeg må å redusere.

Why is the word order jeg må redusere varmen and not inverted?

That’s because it’s a subordinate clause (introduced by at). In subordinate clauses the finite verb comes right after the subject: Subject (jeg) – Verb (må) – Rest of clause. Inversion (verb-second) only applies in main clauses.

Why is varmen in its definite form?

The recipe refers to the specific heat level on the stove (“the heat”), so you use the definite form varmen (“the heat”). The indefinite would be varme (“heat” in general).

Could I use a more colloquial verb than redusere here?

Yes. A common spoken alternative is skru ned (“turn down”), so you could say Oppskriften sier at jeg må skru ned varmen etter fem minutter.

How do you express “after five minutes” in Norwegian, and why is there no article?

You say etter fem minutter. Etter means “after,” and time expressions with a cardinal number don’t take an article (just like “five minutes” in English).

What’s the difference between må and skal in this context?

Må indicates necessity or obligation (“must”/“have to”). Skal often signals a future action or plan (“shall”/“will”) or a milder instruction. Here the recipe demands an action, so må is more appropriate.

Can you drop at after sier in everyday speech?

Informally, yes: people might say Oppskriften sier jeg må redusere varmen…. However, in formal writing or careful speech it’s better to include at.

Why is the pronoun jeg necessary in the clause?

Norwegian typically requires an explicit subject. Even though English sometimes omits “I” in instructions, you need jeg here: jeg må redusere. Implicit subjects only occur in the imperative (e.g. Reduser varmen!).