Han spør hvordan jeg kan knyte det så raskt.

He asks how I can tie it so quickly.

Breakdown of Han spør hvordan jeg kan knyte det så raskt.

• jeg: I
• han: he
• det: it
• kunne: can
• så: so
• spørre: to ask
• raskt: quickly
• hvordan: how
• knyte: to tie

Questions & Answers about Han spør hvordan jeg kan knyte det så raskt.

What tense is spør, and how is å spørre conjugated?

spør is the present tense of å spørre, meaning to ask. It covers both simple present (he asks) and the English progressive sense (he is asking). Main forms:

• Infinitive: å spørre
• Present: spør (jeg spør, du spør, han/hun spør…)
• Past: spurte
• Perfect: har spurt

Why is there no om after spør in this sentence?

When you embed a question with an interrogative word like hvordan, hvorfor, hvor or hva, you omit om:

• Han spør hvordan jeg kan knyte det så raskt.
  For yes/no questions, use om:
• Han spør om jeg kan komme – He asks if I can come.

What role does hvordan play here?

hvordan is an interrogative adverb meaning how. It introduces the embedded question hvordan jeg kan knyte det så raskt. Clauses starting with hvordan use standard word order (subject–verb).

Why is the word order jeg kan knyte instead of kan jeg knyte?

In subordinate clauses introduced by interrogative words, Norwegian keeps normal subject–verb order (SVO):

• Subordinate: hvordan jeg kan knyte…
  In main questions, you invert (V2):
• Hvordan kan jeg knyte det så raskt?

What does kan express here, and could you use a different modal verb?

kan is a modal verb meaning can or be able to. It expresses ability (I can tie). You could choose another modal for nuance:

• bør – how I should tie
• må – how I have to tie

What is the verb knyte, and why is det used after it?

knyte is the infinitive of to tie, a transitive verb. det is the object pronoun “it”:

• knyte det – tie it
  Without context, det is necessary to show what is being tied.

What does så raskt mean? Are there alternatives?

så raskt means so quickly or that fast. Alternatives:

• så fort – quickly (colloquial)
• veldig raskt – very quickly
• på få sekunder – in a few seconds

Could you rephrase the sentence using lurer på instead of spør? Is there a nuance?

Yes:

• Han lurer på hvordan jeg kan knyte det så raskt.
  lurer på means to wonder or to be curious about, softer than spør – asks.

How would you say as quickly as possible instead of just so quickly?

• Han spør hvordan jeg kan knyte det så raskt som mulig.
  som mulig adds the sense as … as possible.
• Colloquial: så fort som mulig