Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Dersom du har tid, kan du ringe meg.

Dersom is a conditional conjunction equivalent to English if. It introduces a hypothetical situation (“if you have time…”). You could replace it with hvis in most contexts, though dersom is a bit more formal or used in writing.

What’s the difference between dersom, hvis, and om?

dersom: Formal or written “if” for real or possible conditions.
hvis: The most common, everyday “if”.
om: Not a conditional if in standard usage. It marks indirect yes/no questions (e.g., “Jeg lurer på om du kommer” – “I wonder if you’re coming”) or means “about.” Avoid using om for “if” in a condition.

Can I start the clause with hvis instead of dersom?

Yes. You can say Hvis du har tid, kan du ringe meg. The meaning is the same. hvis is more colloquial, while dersom sounds slightly more formal or written.

Why is there a comma after the first clause?

Norwegian punctuation typically uses a comma between a subordinate clause and the main clause when the subordinate clause comes first. Here, Dersom du har tid is the subordinate clause, so we separate it from the main clause (kan du ringe meg) with a comma.

Why does the second clause start with kan instead of du?

Because kan du ringe meg is a yes/no question (a polite request). In Norwegian, yes/no questions place the finite verb first, then the subject:
1) Kan (verb)
2) du (subject)
3) rest of the sentence

If you said Du kan ringe meg, it would be a statement (“You can call me”), not a question.

Could I flip the sentence order and say Kan du ringe meg dersom du har tid?

Yes. That version is perfectly fine. When the main clause comes first, you normally drop the comma:
Kan du ringe meg dersom du har tid?

This still means “If you have time, can you call me?” but places emphasis on the request before the condition.

What’s the grammatical role of meg in kan du ringe meg?

Meg is the first-person object pronoun (“me”). After the verb ringe (“to call”), you need an object. In English you say “call me,” in Norwegian you say ringe meg.

Could I use an imperative instead of asking kan du ringe meg?

Yes. An imperative would be Ring meg dersom du har tid. That means “Call me if you have time.” It’s more direct and drops the modal kan. Using kan du ringe meg is softer, more like a polite request.

Is kan du ringe meg asking about ability or making a request?

In this context, it’s a polite request, not a question about ability. Just like in English, when you say “Can you call me?” you’re really asking someone to call you, not checking if they’re physically able to do so.