Varselet kom for sent, og vi måtte endre planene våre.

The warning came too late, and we had to change our plans.

Breakdown of Varselet kom for sent, og vi måtte endre planene våre.

• vi: we
• komme: to come
• og: and
• måtte: must

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?