Det er viktig å vite prisen før du kjøper.

to be

Breakdown of Det er viktig å vite prisen før du kjøper.

• du: you
• å: to
• kjøpe: to buy

Questions & Answers about Det er viktig å vite prisen før du kjøper.

Why is there det at the beginning of this sentence?

In Norwegian, det often functions as a dummy subject (expletive pronoun), similar to English “it” in It is important to know…. It doesn’t refer to anything specific but introduces an impersonal statement.

What does å do in viktig å vite? Why isn’t there å before kjøper?

• å is the infinitive marker in Norwegian.
• å vite = “to know.”
• kjøper in før du kjøper is a finite (conjugated) verb in a subordinate clause introduced by før. Subordinate clauses in Norwegian generally use subject–verb (SVO) order with a finite verb, so no å is needed there.

Why is prisen in the definite form (ending in -en)?

When you talk about something specific or already implied by context – here, the price – Norwegian adds the definite article as a suffix.
• pris = “price” (indefinite)
• prisen = “the price” (definite)

Can you leave out det after før du kjøper, as in just før du kjøper?