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Questions & Answers about Jeg må gå tilbake til butikken.
What does må mean here, and what's the difference between må and skal?
må is a modal verb meaning must or have to, indicating obligation or necessity. skal often means shall or will and is used for future actions or instructions.
Why is there no å before gå in må gå, while I thought Norwegian infinitives always need å?
After modal verbs like må, skal, kan, vil, Norwegian uses the bare infinitive without å. So you say må gå, not må å gå.
How does the adverb tilbake (“back”) fit in the sentence, and why isn't it tilbake gå?
As an adverb, tilbake follows the main verb: gå tilbake (go back). Placing it before the verb (tilbake gå) would break the normal verb + adverb order in Norwegian.
Why is it til butikken instead of til en butikk or just til butikk?
butikken is the definite form of butikk (store) with the suffix -en meaning the store. So til butikken is to the store. If you wanted to a store, you'd say til en butikk.
Can I say gå tilbaket or gåtilbake as one word?
No. tilbake is always a separate adverb. gå tilbake is the correct form; gåtilbake or gå tilbaket are not valid.
How would I say I don't have to go back to the store in Norwegian?
The most natural is Jeg trenger ikke å gå tilbake til butikken (I don't need to go back to the store). You can also say Jeg må ikke gå tilbake til butikken, but that often implies you must not instead of don't have to.
Is må gå present or future tense? Does it mean I must go now or I will have to go?
Må gå is in the present tense and expresses necessity now or in general. If you mean the future, add a time expression: Jeg må gå tilbake til butikken i morgen (I have to go back to the store tomorrow).
Can I drop jeg and just say Må gå tilbake til butikken?
In very informal speech you might, but standard Norwegian sentences need the subject: Jeg må gå tilbake til butikken.
How do you pronounce the å in må, and does it affect other words?
å is pronounced like the vowel in English more (without the /r/), roughly /moː/. It's used in many words like våren (spring) or håp (hope).