Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Norwegian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Jeg knyter skoene før jeg går ut.
What does knyter mean and what is its infinitive form?
knyter is the present tense of å knyte, which means tie. Here it means “I tie.”
Why is skoene in the definite form instead of just sko?
In Norwegian, the noun sko (“shoe”) is irregular: its indefinite plural is sko, and its definite plural is skoene (“the shoes”). You use the definite form when it’s clear which shoes you mean (i.e. your own).
Why isn’t there a possessive pronoun like mine in “knyter skoene”?
Norwegian often implies possession with the noun’s definite form (here skoene) instead of adding mine (“my”). You could say knyter mine sko, but “knyter skoene” is more idiomatic when the owner is obvious.
What role does før play and how does it affect word order?
før is a subordinating conjunction meaning before. It introduces a subordinate clause. Inside that clause you keep normal SVO order (“før jeg går ut”). If you move it to the beginning—Før jeg går ut, knyter jeg skoene—the main clause still obeys V2 (verb in second position).
What is ut, and why does it come after går?
ut is a particle that combines with gå to form the phrasal verb gå ut (“go out”). Particles in Norwegian generally follow the verb they belong to.
How do you pronounce knyter and går?
knyter is pronounced approximately /ˈknyːtəɾ/ (“KNYU-ter”) with a long “y” (like German ü) and a tapped “r.”
går is /ɡoːɾ/ (“gore”) with a long “o” (like “more” without the m) and a tapped “r.”
Can I reorder the clauses, and do I need a comma?
Yes. If the før-clause comes first, you typically add a comma and keep the verb-second rule in the main clause:
Før jeg går ut, knyter jeg skoene.