Før vi maler, tar jeg på meg gamle sko, hansker og en varm lue.

Before we paint, I put on old shoes, gloves and a warm cap.

Breakdown of Før vi maler, tar jeg på meg gamle sko, hansker og en varm lue.

• jeg: I
• en: a
• vi: we
• og: and
• varm: warm
• før: before
• gammel: old
• ta på seg: to put on
• male: to paint
• skoen: the shoe
• hansken: the glove
• luen: the cap

Questions & Answers about Før vi maler, tar jeg på meg gamle sko, hansker og en varm lue.

Why is there a comma after Før vi maler, and why does the verb tar come before jeg?

In Norwegian, a fronted subordinate clause like Før vi maler (“Before we paint”) is set off with a comma. Then the main clause follows the V2 (verb-second) rule: the finite verb tar occupies the second position (the subordinate clause counts as the first constituent), so tar comes before the subject jeg.

What exactly does tar jeg på meg mean, and why is på meg necessary?

Å ta på seg is a separable verb meaning to put on oneself (articles of clothing). Tar is the present of ta (“to take”), på is the verbal particle, and seg is the reflexive pronoun. With jeg, seg becomes meg, so tar jeg på meg literally “I take on myself,” i.e. “I put on.” The på meg indicates that the clothes are being put onto the speaker.

Why aren’t there articles before gamle sko and hansker?

In Norwegian, indefinite plural nouns don’t take an article. Gamle sko (old shoes) and hansker (gloves) are both plural and indefinite, so they appear without et or en. If you wanted to specify quantity you could say et par gamle sko or to hansker, but basic indefinite plurals stand alone.

Why is the adjective gamle used before sko but not gammel?

Adjectives agree in number and definiteness. For indefinite plural nouns you use the strong plural form ending in -e, so gamle sko. The form gammel is the strong singular common-gender form (e.g. en gammel lue).

Why is it en varm lue instead of et varmt lue?

Lue is a common-gender noun (not neuter), so it takes the article en in the singular and the adjective stays in its strong singular common form (varm). Neuter nouns (like hus) would use et and take an extra -t on the adjective (e.g. et varmt hus).

Can I change the order of the clothing items, and when do I use commas vs og?

Yes, you can list them in any order (e.g. gamle sko, en varm lue og hansker). Norwegian lists work like English: separate items with commas and use og (“and”) before the final item.