Breakdown of Man må drikke vann før man spiser brød.
spise
to eat
brødet
the bread
drikke
to drink
vannet
the water
Questions & Answers about Man må drikke vann før man spiser brød.
What does man mean in this sentence?
In Norwegian, man is an indefinite pronoun meaning “one” or a generic “you.” It refers to people in general, not a specific person. In everyday speech, it often feels like the English “you” when giving advice or stating general truths.
Why is there man again in the second clause? It feels repetitive.
Norwegian subordinate clauses require an explicit subject. Even though it seems repetitive in English, you must repeat man in the clause after før. You cannot drop it the way you might in English (“before eating bread”).
Why is it må drikke and not drikker?
Må is a modal auxiliary verb (must). In Norwegian, as in English, modals are followed by the bare infinitive. So you say må drikke (“must drink”), not drikker (“drink/drinks”).
Why is vann not preceded by an article?
Here vann is used in a general, uncountable sense (“water” as a substance). In such generic contexts, Norwegian omits the article. If you meant a specific body of water or a particular glass, you’d say vannet (“the water”).
Why is the verb in the second clause spiser (present tense) and not an infinitive?