Breakdown of Varselet kom for sent, og vi måtte endre planene våre.
vi
we
komme
to come
og
and
måtte
must
vår
our
for sent
too late
planen
the plan
endre
to change
varselet
the warning
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Questions & Answers about Varselet kom for sent, og vi måtte endre planene våre.
What does varselet mean, and why is it in the definite form?
Varsel is a neuter noun meaning “notice” or “warning.” Adding -et makes it definite singular: varselet = “the notice.”
Why is it kom for sent instead of kom for seint, and do they both mean the same?
Both sent and seint mean “late.” Sent is more common in formal writing, while seint is colloquial or dialectal. The meaning “came too late” is the same.
Why does kom (the verb) come before for sent (the adverbial)? Could we say varselet for sent kom?
Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in second position. Here the order is Subject – Verb – Adverbial: Varselet (1) kom (2) for sent (3). You cannot say Varselet for sent kom, because the verb would then be third.
What is måtte, and why isn’t it må?
Måtte is the past tense of må (“must/have to”). It expresses that in the past we were obliged to do something. So vi måtte = “we had to.”
Why is it planene våre instead of våre planer or planene våre våre?
When you have a definite noun (here planene = “the plans”), the possessive pronoun våre follows the noun: planene våre = “our plans.” Saying våre planer would be an indefinite construction (“some of our plans”), and you never double up possessives.
Why is there a comma before og? Is it mandatory?
In Norwegian you may use a comma before og when it connects two independent clauses, especially in writing, to mark the pause. It’s not strictly mandatory, but it improves readability here.
Could you replace vi måtte endre with vi skulle endre?
You could say vi skulle endre (literally “we were to change”), which also indicates a past plan or obligation. However, måtte emphasizes necessity/obligation in the past, whereas skulle is more neutral about a plan or intention.