Tiden er knapp, så sender jeg e-posten i kveld.

Time is short, so I will send the email this evening.

Breakdown of Tiden er knapp, så sender jeg e-posten i kveld.

• jeg: I
• være: to be
• tiden: the time
• så: so
• sende: to send
• e-posten: the email
• knapp: short
• i kveld: this evening

Questions & Answers about Tiden er knapp, så sender jeg e-posten i kveld.

What does knapp mean in the phrase Tiden er knapp?

knapp is an adjective meaning scarce, in short supply, or tight. So Tiden er knapp literally means Time is tight or There isn’t much time.

Why does the verb come before the subject in så sender jeg e-posten i kveld?

Norwegian follows a V2 (verb-second) word order in main clauses. When a clause starts with an element other than the subject (here så), the finite verb must be the second element, so sender comes before jeg.

Why is e-posten in the definite form? Could I say en e-post?

You're referring to a specific email you plan to send, so you use the definite form e-posten (“the email”). If you meant any email in general, you'd say en e-post (“an email”).

Why is the present tense sender used when the action happens in the future (i kveld)?

In Norwegian it’s common to use the present tense for planned future actions, especially when paired with a time expression like i kveld (“tonight”). So Jeg sender can mean I’ll send.

What exactly does så do in this sentence? Is it a conjunction or an adverb?

Here så means so or therefore and functions as an adverbial connector. It’s not a subordinating conjunction like fordi, so it starts the clause and triggers V2 inversion.

Is the comma before så mandatory? Can it be left out?

It’s standard to put a comma before så when it links two main clauses (Tiden er knapp, så...). While you might sometimes omit it in informal writing, using the comma is recommended for clarity.

Could I instead use fordi to express because? How would the sentence change?

Yes. With fordi (“because”), you’d have a subordinate clause first:
Fordi tiden er knapp, sender jeg e-posten i kveld.
Note that tiden er knapp stays SVO in the subordinate clause, and since it comes first, the main clause still uses inversion (sender jeg).

Can I split it into two sentences without inversion?

Definitely. For example:
Tiden er knapp. Jeg sender e-posten i kveld.
Each sentence starts with the subject, so you keep the normal SVO order (Jeg sender).