Breakdown of Neste morgen finner jeg et nytt skilt på dørmatten som sier «Velkommen tilbake».
jeg
I
et
a
morgenen
the morning
på
on
ny
new
som
which
finne
to find
si
to say
neste
next
skiltet
the sign
dørmatten
the doormat
velkommen
welcome
tilbake
back
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Questions & Answers about Neste morgen finner jeg et nytt skilt på dørmatten som sier «Velkommen tilbake».
Why is neste morgen placed at the beginning of the sentence, and what effect does that have on the word order?
In Norwegian you often start a sentence with a time expression like neste morgen (“the next morning”). This triggers the V2 (verb-second) rule: the finite verb (finner) must come immediately after that fronted element, so the subject (jeg) follows the verb.
Why is the verb finner in the present tense, even though it describes a past event?
This is called the narrative or historical present. Even though the event happened in the past, using present tense makes the story feel more immediate and vivid. You could also say fant (“found”) for a straightforward past tense.
What gender is skilt, and why do we use et as the indefinite article?
Skilt is a neuter noun in Norwegian. Neuter nouns take et in the indefinite singular (like “a” in English). The definite form would be skiltet (“the sign”).
Why is the adjective nytt spelled with two t’s?
Adjectives describing a neuter singular noun take a –t ending. Since ny ends in a vowel, you add another t to keep the correct sound: ny → nytt.
How does på dørmatten work, and why is dørmatten in the definite form?
På means “on,” and dørmatten is the definite form of dørmatte (“doormat”). In Norwegian, the suffix –n makes a common-gender noun definite: en dørmatte → dørmatten (“the doormat”).
What role does som play in som sier Velkommen tilbake, and can it be omitted?
Som is the relative pronoun linking back to skilt. It introduces the relative clause som sier Velkommen tilbake (“that says Welcome back”). Unlike English, you cannot drop som here.
Why are angle quotes used around Velkommen tilbake?
Norwegian convention prefers guillemets (« ») for primary quotations. Inside them, you might see the more familiar English-style quotes (“ ”), but here the sign itself uses «Velkommen tilbake».
Why is tilbake not capitalized in Velkommen tilbake?
Norwegian only capitalizes the first word of a sentence or sign phrase. Since tilbake is not a proper noun, it stays lowercase.
Could you say Jeg finner et nytt skilt på dørmatten instead, and would the meaning change?
Yes. Starting with Jeg finner is perfectly natural and follows the neutral Subject–Verb–Object order. Fronting neste morgen simply shifts the emphasis to “the next morning.”
What does Velkommen tilbake literally mean, and what part of speech is tilbake?
Velkommen means “welcome,” and tilbake literally means “back.” Here tilbake is an adverb indicating return. Together they form the common greeting “welcome back.”