Breakdown of Kan du hente kontantene på kontoret?
du
you
kunne
can
på
at
hente
to fetch
kontoret
the office
kontantene
the cash
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Questions & Answers about Kan du hente kontantene på kontoret?
Why isn’t there an å before hente after kan?
In Norwegian, when a modal verb (such as kan, må, vil) is followed by another verb, that verb takes the bare infinitive without å. So you say kan hente, må dra, vil spise, not kan å hente, må å dra, vil å spise.
Why is kontantene in the definite form instead of just kontanter?
Kontantene means the cash—a specific sum of money you have in mind. If you said kontanter, you’d mean some cash in general, not a particular amount. The ending -ene marks the definite plural in Norwegian.
What does på kontoret literally mean, and why not i kontoret?
På kontoret literally means at the office. In Norwegian, workplaces and institutions (kontoret, skolen, butikken) typically take på to express location. I kontoret would stress being physically inside the room, which is less common for saying “at the office.”
Why is the word order Kan du hente… instead of Du kan hente…?
For yes/no questions in Norwegian, you invert the finite verb and the subject. A statement is Du kan hente kontantene (“You can fetch the cash”), but the question becomes Kan du hente kontantene? with kan before du.
Does Kan du hente… ask about ability or is it just a polite request?
Although kan literally means “can/able to,” in everyday Norwegian Kan du… usually functions as a polite request—much like English “Can you…?” You’re asking someone to do something rather than doubting their ability.
Why is kontor written as kontoret with -et at the end?
Kontor is a neuter noun in Norwegian. To form the definite singular of a neuter noun, you add -et. So kontor (“an office”) → kontoret (“the office”). Here, på kontoret means “at the office.”
Could I say Kan du ta med kontantene på kontoret? instead?
You could, but ta med means “bring (with you),” whereas hente means “fetch” or “pick up.”
– Kan du ta med kontantene på kontoret? implies carrying the cash from the office to your current location.
– Kan du hente kontantene på kontoret? focuses on going there to collect them.
How can I make the request more polite?
You can add phrases like vær så snill or vennligst:
– Kan du være så snill og hente kontantene på kontoret?
– Vær så snill å hente kontantene på kontoret.
– Hent kontantene på kontoret, vennligst.
These soften the tone but aren’t mandatory.