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Samtalen fortsetter på smarttelefonen fordi møtet er over.

Samtalen fortsetter på smarttelefonen fordi møtet er over.
The conversation continues on the smartphone because the meeting is over.
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Questions & Answers about Samtalen fortsetter på smarttelefonen fordi møtet er over.

What does Samtalen mean and why does it end with -en?

Samtalen means the conversation. In Norwegian, you show “the” by adding a suffix to the noun:

  • samtale = “a conversation”
  • samtalen = “the conversation”
What does fortsetter mean, and how is it formed?

fortsetter is the present tense of å fortsette, which means to continue. Norwegian verbs have only one present-tense form for all persons, so:

  • jeg fortsetter = I continue
  • du fortsetter = you continue
  • han/hun fortsetter = he/she continues
Why is på used in på smarttelefonen instead of i or med?

Here på functions like English “on” (a device or platform). You say:

  • fortsette på telefonen = continue on the phone
    Using i would imply something physically inside (“in”), and med (“with”) is less common when talking about a platform or device.
Why is smarttelefonen one word and why the -en ending?

Norwegian compounds are written as a single word. smarttelefon = “smartphone.” Adding -en makes it definite:

  • smarttelefon = “a smartphone”
  • smarttelefonen = “the smartphone.”
What does fordi møtet er over mean, and why is there no comma before fordi?
It translates to because the meeting is over. In Norwegian, you normally don’t put a comma before the subordinating conjunction fordi (“because”). A comma is only optional for emphasis or clarity in very long sentences.
Why is over used here, instead of another word for “finished”?
In møtet er over, over serves as an adjective/adverb meaning “finished” or “ended.” It’s the most common way to say “the meeting is over” in Norwegian. You could also say møtet er ferdig, but er over is more idiomatic.
Can I replace fordi with siden, and would it change the meaning?

Yes.

  • fordi gives a clear causal reason: “because.”
  • siden can mean “since” in a temporal or contextual sense.
    So Samtalen fortsetter på smarttelefonen siden møtet er over is perfectly natural, with almost the same meaning.
Why does fortsetter appear right after Samtalen rather than later in the sentence?

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 (verb-second) rule: the finite verb must be the second element. Here:

  1. Samtalen (subject)
  2. fortsetter (verb)
  3. på smarttelefonen (adverbial)
  4. fordi møtet er over (subordinate clause)
How would you invert the sentence to put the cause first?

You can start with the subordinate clause, then place a comma, and keep the main clause in V2 order:
Fordi møtet er over, fortsetter samtalen på smarttelefonen.