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

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

• være: to be
• tiden: the time
• så: so

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.