Breakdown of For å beskytte miljøet sorterer jeg avfall før jeg betaler regningen.
jeg
I
å
to
før
before
for
for
betale
to pay
beskytte
to protect
miljøet
the environment
avfallet
the waste
sortere
to sort
regningen
the bill
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Questions & Answers about For å beskytte miljøet sorterer jeg avfall før jeg betaler regningen.
What is the function of for å in this sentence?
for å introduces a purpose clause, equivalent to English “in order to.” It always takes an infinitive verb (here beskytte) to explain why you do the main action.
Why is miljøet in its definite form?
In Norwegian, you use the definite form (adding -et) when talking about “the environment” in general. miljø is indefinite; miljøet means “the environment.”
Why does the verb sorterer come before the subject jeg?
Norwegian main clauses follow the verb-second (V2) rule. Since the phrase For å beskytte miljøet is in position one, the finite verb sorterer must be in position two, so it precedes jeg.
What tense is sorterer, and how would you translate it?
sorterer is the present tense of å sortere. It translates as “I sort” or “I am sorting.”
Why isn’t there an article before avfall?
avfall is an uncountable noun meaning “waste.” When speaking about waste in general, you omit the article (no en or ei).
Why is før jeg betaler regningen structured with før + subject + verb?
In Norwegian subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like før (“before”), the order is conjunction + subject + verb. Unlike German, the verb doesn’t move to the end.
Could you say for å beskytte miljøet at the end of the sentence instead?
Yes. You could also say:
Jeg sorterer avfall før jeg betaler regningen for å beskytte miljøet.
This keeps the same meaning but shifts the emphasis slightly.
What’s the difference between avfall and søppel?
avfall is a more formal term for waste, often used in official or environmental contexts. søppel means “trash/garbage” in everyday speech and usually refers to unsorted household rubbish.
Why is regningen in the definite form?
You use regningen (“the bill”) because you refer to a specific bill you need to pay in that context. If you said en regning, it would mean “a bill” in a non-specific sense.
Can you drop the subject and say For å beskytte miljøet sorterer avfall før betaler regningen?
No. Norwegian requires an explicit subject in finite clauses (except in imperatives). You must include jeg sorterer and jeg betaler.