Kan du si det en gang til?

Can you say that one more time?

Breakdown of Kan du si det en gang til?

• du: you
• kunne: can
• si: to say
• en gang til: one more time
• det: that

Questions & Answers about Kan du si det en gang til?

What is the literal translation of Kan du si det en gang til??

• kan = can (modal verb)
• du = you
• si = say (infinitive; after modal verbs like kan, Norwegian keeps the main verb in the infinitive)
• det = it/that (neuter pronoun)
• en = one/a
• gang = time/occasion
• til = to/more
  Word-for-word this is Can you say it one time more – naturally rendered in English as Can you say that one more time?

Why is si not conjugated like sier?

In Norwegian, after a modal verb (such as kan, må, vil), the next verb remains in the infinitive. So you say kan si, not kan sier. If there’s no modal, you conjugate in the present tense (e.g. Du sier det = You say it).

What does en gang til mean, and can I use something else to say again?

• en gang literally means a time/once
• til adds the notion of more or again
  So en gang til means one more time or again. You can also simply use igjen to say again. For example: Kan du si det igjen – Can you say that again.

Why is det used here? Could I replace it with another pronoun?

det refers back to what was said and serves as the direct object of si. To refer to something else, you’d use a different word. For example: Kan du si noe annet – Can you say something else. But to repeat exactly what was said, det is the right choice.

Why is the word order Kan du si det en gang til?? How do Norwegian questions compare to English?

Norwegian yes/no questions follow a verb-first pattern:

1. Kan – finite verb (position 1)
2. du – subject (position 2)
3. si – infinitive (main verb)
4. det – object
5. en gang til – adverbial
   English yes/no questions work similarly: auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + object + adverbial.

Can I omit du (the subject pronoun) as in English “Can say that again?”

No. In standard Norwegian you need the subject in main clauses, even questions. Omitting du is ungrammatical:
✗ Kan si det en gang til
Always include du after kan when asking someone directly.

Is this sentence considered polite? Are there more polite ways to ask someone to repeat something?

Yes, Kan du …? is polite in everyday contexts. To be extra polite, you can:

• Add vær så snill: Kan du si det en gang til, vær så snill (Can you say that one more time, please)
• Use the conditional kunne: Kunne du si det en gang til? (Could you say that one more time?)

How do you pronounce Kan du si det en gang til? and where does the stress fall?

Stress falls on KAN, SI and GANG TIL:
KAN du SI det en GANG TIL?
Intonation rises at the end because it’s a yes/no question.