Breakdown of Radioen slår seg av når jeg sovner.
jeg
I
når
when
sovne
to fall asleep
radioen
the radio
slå seg av
to turn off
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Questions & Answers about Radioen slår seg av når jeg sovner.
What does Radioen mean, and why is there an -en at the end?
Radioen is the definite form of radio in Norwegian. Adding -en turns “a radio” into “the radio.”
What does slår seg av mean?
Literally it’s “hits itself off,” but idiomatically it means “turns itself off.” It’s a reflexive action: the radio is doing the shutting-off by itself.
Why is seg included in slår seg av?
Seg is the reflexive pronoun “itself.” It marks that the subject (radioen) is both doing and receiving the action—so the radio turns itself off.
Could we just use slår av or skruer av instead?
You could say slår av radioen or skruer av radioen if you mean “I switch off the radio.” But then it’s you who turns it off. Slår seg av emphasizes the radio shuts off on its own.
Why is av separated from slår?
Slår av is a separable verb: the particle av moves to the end in main clauses. In subordinate clauses (like after når), the particle stays with the verb: når jeg sovner slår radioen seg av is also possible but less common.
Why is sovner used instead of sover?
Sover means “am/is sleeping.” Sovner means “fall asleep,” the moment you go from awake to asleep. Here the radio turns off exactly when you drift off.
Why is the word order Radioen slår seg av når jeg sovner and not …når jeg sovner radioen slår seg av?
In Norwegian main clauses, the finite verb must be in second position: subject (Radioen) – verb (slår) – rest of the clause. The subordinate clause når jeg sovner can go at the end without changing that order.
Why do we use når instead of da for “when”?
Når is used for general or repeated events (a habitual or conditional “when”). Da refers to a specific past moment (“When I fell asleep yesterday…”). Here it’s a recurring action.
Both verbs are in present tense—does that mean the action is happening now?
No. Norwegian often uses the present tense for events that occur regularly or simultaneous actions: “The radio turns itself off whenever I fall asleep.” It’s a general, habitual statement.