Breakdown of Når dørklokken ringer, slipper bibliotekaren oss inn.
oss
us
når
when
ringe
to ring
dørklokken
the doorbell
slippe inn
to let in
bibliotekaren
the librarian
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Questions & Answers about Når dørklokken ringer, slipper bibliotekaren oss inn.
What does når mean, and when should I use it?
når is a subordinating conjunction meaning when. You use it for habitual or recurring events in the present or future. For a single past event you’d use da, and for hypothetical conditions you’d use hvis.
Why is there a comma after ringer?
In Norwegian, an initial subordinate clause is separated from the main clause by a comma. Since Når dørklokken ringer opens the sentence, you place a comma before the main clause.
Why is the verb order in Når dørklokken ringer subject–verb (S–V), not verb–subject (V–S)?
Subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like når follow the normal S–V order in Norwegian. Verb–subject inversion only happens in main clauses (and in direct questions).
Why does the main clause read slipper bibliotekaren oss inn (verb–subject–object) instead of subject–verb–object?
Norwegian is a V2 language: the finite verb must occupy the second position in a main clause. Here, the entire subordinate clause (Når dørklokken ringer) counts as the first element, so slipper (the verb) comes next, and the subject (bibliotekaren) follows it.
How is the present tense ringer formed from å ringe?
Verbs ending in -e typically form the present by dropping -e and adding -er:
• infinitive: å ringe
• present tense: ringer (“rings” / “is ringing”)
What does slipper oss inn mean, and why is oss placed before inn?
slippe inn is a separable (phrasal) verb meaning to let in. When the object is a pronoun, it sits between the verb and the particle:
• correct: slipper oss inn (“lets us in”)
• incorrect: slipper inn oss
Why do dørklokken and bibliotekaren end in -en?
In Bokmål Norwegian, common-gender nouns form the definite singular by adding -en as a suffix:
• dørklokke (“doorbell”) → dørklokken (“the doorbell”)
• bibliotekar (“librarian”) → bibliotekaren (“the librarian”)
What is oss, and why not vi?
oss is the object pronoun us. In Norwegian you use vi as the subject pronoun (“we”) and oss as the object pronoun (“us”).
Could I put the main clause first and drop the inversion?
Yes. If you write Bibliotekaren slipper oss inn når dørklokken ringer, the main clause is first (S–V–O) and the subordinate clause follows without forcing inversion.