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Questions & Answers about Kan du snakke litt saktere?
What does litt mean, and why is it placed before saktere?
Litt in Norwegian means “a little” or “a bit.” In this sentence it softens your request—it’s asking someone to slow down “a bit.” When you have two adverbs together (degree + manner), the degree adverb (litt) comes immediately before the manner/comparative adverb (saktere).
Why is saktere used instead of sakte?
Sakte is the base adverb meaning “slowly.” To ask for “more slowly,” Norwegian uses the comparative form: add -re to get saktere. This matches English “slower” or “more slowly.”
Why isn’t there an å before snakke?
In Norwegian, when you use a modal verb like kan (“can”), the next verb stays in its bare infinitive form—no å. So you say kan du snakke (lit. “can you speak”) rather than kan du å snakke.
Why does the sentence start with Kan instead of Du?
Norwegian follows a verb-second (V2) rule in questions without a question word. You invert the subject and the finite verb. So the verb kan comes first, followed by the subject du, producing Kan du …?
Could I make this request more polite by using kunne?
Yes. Kunne du snakket litt saktere? uses the past-tense form kunne of the modal “can.” It’s equivalent to “Could you speak a bit more slowly?” in English and is slightly more polite or tentative.
Are there other ways to say “speak more slowly” in Norwegian?
Yes. You could use synonyms like:
- snakke langsommere (using the comparative of langsomm)
- tale saktere (more formal “tale” instead of “snakke”) But snakke litt saktere is the most common everyday phrase.
Can I say mer sakte instead of saktere?
No, Norwegian generally forms comparatives of short adverbs by adding -re. Saying mer sakte sounds awkward. Stick with saktere (“more slowly”).
What’s the difference between snakke and tale?
Both mean “to speak” or “to talk,” but snakke is the everyday, informal verb. Tale is more formal or literary (like “address” a crowd). In a casual request to slow down, snakke is preferred.