Questions & Answers about Noen ganger kan det skje.
What does Noen ganger mean?
Noen ganger literally translates to “some times,” and in natural English we say “sometimes.” It refers to events that occur on multiple occasions, not just once.
Why is there a det in this sentence?
Norwegian often needs a placeholder subject, even when the real “thing” that happens is vague. That placeholder is det. In English we don’t say “It sometimes can happen” quite the same way, but in Norwegian det fills the subject slot.
Why is kan placed before det skje? Isn’t the usual order subject-verb-object?
What does skje mean, and why is it in the infinitive form?
skje means “to happen.” After a modal verb like kan, Norwegian uses the bare infinitive (without å). So you say kan skje, not kan å skje.
Could you rephrase the sentence without fronting Noen ganger?