Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Sjefen ønsker en liten endring i rapporten før publisering. - The boss wants a small change in the report before publication.

sjefen is the definite form of sjef (“boss”), so it literally means “the boss.” In Norwegian, common nouns—even job titles—are not capitalized unless they start a sentence or are part of a proper name. That’s why sjefen is lowercase.

Why is the verb ønsker used here instead of vil or må?

ønsker is the present tense of å ønske, meaning “to wish” or “to want” in a polite, somewhat formal way.

ønsker implies a preference or request (“the boss would like…”).
vil (“wants”) is more direct and can sound a bit blunt.
må (“must”) expresses necessity or obligation.
So sjefen ønsker is a diplomatic way to say “the boss would like.”

Why is it en liten endring and not et lite endring or en litt endring?

Norwegian adjectives agree with the gender and number of the noun they describe.

endring is a common-gender (formerly “masculine/feminine”) noun with the indefinite article en.
The corresponding adjective form is liten, so you get en liten endring (“a small change”).
Using litt would be wrong here because litt is the indefinite neuter form used adverbially or with neuter nouns (e.g., et lite hus or jeg vil ha litt vann).

Why is the preposition i used in en liten endring i rapporten?

In Norwegian, you usually say endring i noe (“change in something”) when you refer to modifications inside the content or structure of that thing.

i emphasizes that the alteration happens within the text of the report.
You might hear endring på rapporten in some dialects or contexts to mean a physical change on the document, but i rapporten is the most common when talking about content.

Why is rapporten in the definite form rather than indefinite?

By saying i rapporten, the speaker assumes both parties know which report is meant (likely one that’s already been drafted or discussed). The definite form rapporten (“the report”) signals that specificity. An indefinite version (i en rapport) would mean “in a report” with no prior identification.

Why is there no article before publisering in før publisering?

publisering here is an abstract, verbal noun (a gerund) derived from publisere (“to publish”). When you talk about an action or process in general, Norwegian often omits the article.

før publisering = “before publishing” (the general act of publishing).
If you wanted to specify a particular publication event, you might say før publiseringen (“before the publication”).

Could you rephrase før publisering in another way?

Yes. Some alternatives include:

før at den blir publisert (“before it is published”)
før rapporten publiseres (“before the report is published”)
These use subordinate clauses or passive voice, but før publisering is more concise and common in formal or business contexts.

What part of speech is publisering, and how is it formed?

publisering is a verbal noun (gerund) formed from the infinitive å publisere by adding -ing. In Norwegian:

publisere (verb) → publisering (noun)
This noun can be used like any other, and in phrases like før publisering it denotes the action or process of publishing.