Jeg må fylle ut jobbsøknaden i kveld.

I have to fill out the job application tonight.

Breakdown of Jeg må fylle ut jobbsøknaden i kveld.

• jeg: I
• måtte: must
• i kveld: tonight
• jobbsøknaden: the job application
• fylle ut: to fill out

Questions & Answers about Jeg må fylle ut jobbsøknaden i kveld.

What does må mean in this sentence, and how does it differ from skal?

Må is a modal verb expressing necessity or obligation—“must” or “have to.” You use må when something is required or unavoidable.
By contrast, skal can also express obligation (“shall,” “will”) but is stronger for planned or scheduled actions (“I will…”) or when giving commands.
Example:
• Jeg må gå til legen. (I have to go to the doctor – it’s necessary.)
• Jeg skal gå til legen i morgen. (I will go to the doctor tomorrow – it’s a plan.)

Why is fylle ut written as two words? Isn’t utfylle one word?

In Bokmål, you normally write the verb fylle (to fill) and the particle ut (out) as two separate words: fylle ut (to fill out). This is called a separable verb. When you conjugate or combine it with a modal like må, you keep them apart:
• Jeg må fylle ut…
Some dictionaries list utfylle as a single infinitive, but in everyday writing and speech you separate it.

Why does jobbsøknaden end in -en? Where is the article?

The ending -en on jobbsøknaden is the definite singular suffix in Norwegian (equivalent to “the job application”). Norwegian typically attaches the definite article to the end of a noun.
Breakdown:
• søknad = application
• –en = the (definite suffix)
Together: søknaden = the application.

Why is there an extra s in jobbsøknaden?

Norwegian often inserts a linking s when forming compounds. Here:
• jobb (job) + søknad (application) → jobbsøknad (job application).
Then you add the definite ending: jobbsøknaden (the job application).

Could you use an indefinite form, like en jobbsøknad, instead?

Yes. If you say Jeg må fylle ut en jobbsøknad i kveld, it means “I have to fill out a (some) job application tonight,” implying it’s not a specific one already known. Using the definite jobbsøknaden (“the job application”) suggests you and your listener know which application you mean.

What does i kveld mean, and why two words?

i kveld literally means “in evening,” but it’s the standard way to say tonight in Norwegian. It’s written as two words:
• i = in
• kveld = evening
It’s fixed in this form—don’t write ikveld.

Why is må the second word, and why does i kveld come at the end?

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 (verb-second) rule: the finite verb (here må) must occupy the second position. Standard order:

1. Subject (Jeg)
2. Finite verb (må)
3. Rest of the predicate (fylle ut jobbsøknaden)
4. Adverbial/time expression (i kveld)
   Hence: Jeg (må) fylle ut jobbsøknaden (i kveld).

Can I move i kveld to the front? Would that change anything?

Yes. Placing i kveld first still respects V2:
• I kveld må jeg fylle ut jobbsøknaden.
This often adds emphasis on i kveld (“Tonight, I have to…”). You can also say:
• Jeg må i kveld fylle ut jobbsøknaden.
All are grammatically correct; you only shift the focus.