Uten passord kan ingen endre oppdateringen på datamaskinen.

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Questions & Answers about Uten passord kan ingen endre oppdateringen på datamaskinen.

Why is uten passord placed at the beginning of the sentence?

In Norwegian you can front (move to the start) an adverbial phrase like uten passord (“without a password”) to emphasise the condition. Because of the V2‐word‐order rule, the finite verb kan then must come immediately after:

Fronted element (uten passord) → Finite verb (kan) → Subject (ingen) → Rest of clause


Why is there no article before passord? Could you say et passord?

After words like uten, Norwegian typically uses the bare noun to express “without [noun]” in general. Saying uten et passord is grammatically correct and would emphasise “without a single password,” but most speakers simply use uten passord for brevity and natural flow.


Why does the sentence use kan ingen instead of ingen kan?

Norwegian main clauses obey the V2 (verb‐second) rule: the finite verb must occupy the second position. Since uten passord is first, the verb kan comes second, and the subject ingen follows:

  1. uten passord
  2. kan
  3. ingen
  4. endre oppdateringen ...

If you remove or move uten passord, you could say Ingen kan endre oppdateringen ..., with ingen then in first position.


Why is there no å before endre?

When you use a modal verb like kan, the following verb is in the bare infinitive form (no å). That’s why it’s kan endre and not kan å endre.


Why is it endre oppdateringen instead of oppdatere oppdateringen?

These two verbs have different nuances:

  • endre = to change or modify something that already exists
  • oppdatere = to update (bring up to date)

Here the meaning is “modify the update,” so endre is the better choice. Using oppdatere oppdateringen would even sound redundant (“update the update”).


Why is oppdateringen in the definite form (with -en)?

The suffix -en makes the noun definite: “the update.” It indicates you’re talking about a specific update on the computer, not updates in general.


Why do we say på datamaskinen and not i datamaskinen?

In Norwegian, is used with platforms or devices (computer, phone, tablet) to mean “on [the device].” Using i would imply “inside the physical hardware,” which isn’t the intended meaning here.


Is it possible to omit på datamaskinen?
Yes. If context already makes it clear what you’re referring to, you can simply say Uten passord kan ingen endre oppdateringen and the listener will infer “on the computer.” Adding på datamaskinen just specifies the location explicitly.