Learn Hardcore Norwegian: På torsdag blir det kanskje en ekstra kamp hvis laget går videre. - On Thursday there may be an extra match if the team advances.

In Norwegian you normally use a preposition for weekdays: på + torsdag (like “on Thursday”). You don’t need a definite ending (–en) for a general reference, so på torsdagen (“on the Thursday”) would sound like you’re talking about one very specific Thursday rather than the coming Thursday.

What effect does starting the sentence with På torsdag have on word order?

When a time expression comes first, Norwegian follows the V2 rule: the finite verb must come second. So you get På torsdag (1) blir (2) det (3) kanskje … instead of Det blir kanskje … på torsdag. The verb blir jumps right after På torsdag.

What does blir det mean here?

Literally bli = “to become,” but in expressions like det blir it functions like “there will be.” So blir det en kamp = “there will be a match.” The det is a dummy (empty) subject that you can’t drop in Norwegian.

Why is kanskje placed between det and en ekstra kamp?

Kanskje is an adverb meaning “maybe.” In main clauses it normally comes right after the finite verb or after the subject, so both of these are possible:

Blir det kanskje …
Det blir kanskje …
Here they chose blir det kanskje en ekstra kamp to keep the time expression in front and still place kanskje close to the verb.

What does en ekstra kamp translate to?

En is the indefinite article “an,” ekstra means “extra/additional,” and kamp is “match” (often sports). So en ekstra kamp = “an extra match.”

Why is hvis used for “if” and not om?

Both hvis and om can mean “if,” but hvis is generally preferred in conditional sentences like this. Om can also mean “about” or “around,” so using hvis avoids confusion when setting up a real condition.

Why does the clause hvis laget går videre keep the normal Subject–Verb order?

Subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like hvis do not follow the V2 rule. You use normal order (Subject laget, then Verb går, then the rest). In main clauses you’d invert after a fronted element, but not in subordinate ones.

What exactly does går videre mean?

Literally “goes further,” but idiomatically gå videre means “to advance” or “to move on” (e.g. to the next round in a tournament).

Why is it laget (the team) instead of et lag (a team)?

Here you’re talking about a specific, known team (e.g. your own team or a previously mentioned one). That’s why you use the definite form laget. Et lag would mean just “a team” in general, with no particular reference.