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Questions & Answers about Jeg er sent ute til jobbmøtet.
Why is it "sent" and not "sen"?
Because sent is the adverb form of the adjective sen (“late”). In Norwegian, many adjectives form adverbs by adding -t (often the neuter form): rask → raskt, hard → hardt, sen → sent. The expression sent ute requires the adverb. Using sen here sounds wrong.
Compare:
- Jeg er sent ute. = I’m running late (adverb).
- Jeg er sen. = I’m late/slow (adjective), usable on its own, but less idiomatic with “til + event.”
What does "sent ute" actually mean? Is it literally “late out”?
Literally, yes, “late out,” but idiomatically it means “running late/behind schedule,” often with the nuance that you started too late or you’re cutting it close. It doesn’t necessarily mean you will arrive too late—just that you’re behind the plan.
You can also use it with “med + noun”:
- Jeg er sent ute med rapporten. = I’m late with the report.
How is "sent ute" different from "for sent" or "kommer for sent"?
- sent ute = behind schedule/running late, but not necessarily too late yet:
Jeg er sent ute til jobbmøtet. - for sent = too late (missed the intended time):
Most natural with “komme”: Jeg kommer for sent til jobbmøtet. - With the adjective: Jeg er for sen (til jobbmøtet) is grammatical but less common than “komme for sent” when talking about arrival time.
Can I say "Jeg er ute sent"? Does that mean the same thing?
No. The word order changes the meaning:
- Jeg er ute sent. = I’m out late (at night).
- Jeg er sent ute. = I’m running late/starting late (for something).
So only the second one matches the idea of being late for the meeting.
Why is it "til jobbmøtet" and not "på jobbmøtet" or "for jobbmøtet"?
- til + event is used when you’re going to or late for something: sent ute til møtet.
- på + event/place means “at/on”: på jobbmøtet = at the work meeting.
- for is not used to link “late” with the event here; for sent is a separate adverb meaning “too late.”
So: Jeg er sent ute til jobbmøtet, but Jeg er på jobbmøtet (I’m at the meeting).
Is "Jeg er sen til jobbmøtet" acceptable?
It’s understandable, but native speakers usually prefer:
- Jeg kommer (for) sent (til jobbmøtet).
- Jeg blir (litt) sen.
“Sen til + event” is less idiomatic than the two patterns above. “Jeg er (litt) sen” can work as an update (“I’m running late”), but for arrivals, “komme (for) sent” is the go-to.
What are some natural alternatives to say the same thing?
- Jeg kommer litt sent (til jobbmøtet). = I’ll arrive a bit late.
- Jeg kommer for sent (til jobbmøtet). = I’ll arrive too late.
- Jeg blir (litt) sen. = I’ll be a bit late.
- Jeg er/Blir forsinket. = I’m delayed.
- Jeg rekker ikke å være der til kl. 9. = I won’t make it by 9.
- Positive opposite: Jeg er tidlig ute. = I’m early/on top of it.
What does "jobbmøtet" tell me about Norwegian compounds? Could I say "møtet på jobben"?
Yes. Jobbmøtet is a compound: jobb + møte = “work meeting.”
Forms:
- Indefinite: et jobbmøte
- Definite: jobbmøtet
You can also say møtet på jobben (“the meeting at work”), which focuses on location. In many contexts they overlap, but jobbmøtet packages it as a single concept (“the work meeting”).
Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?
Approximate guidance (dialects vary):
- Jeg: often like “yai” or “yeh” (many say a short “jæ”).
- er: like “air” without the i-glide.
- sent: either “sent” or “seint”; both are heard.
- ute: “OO-teh” with a fronted u (like French “u”).
- til: “till.”
- jobbmøtet: “yobb-mø-teh” (ø is like the vowel in French “peu”; double b is clearly pronounced).
Can I use "sein/seint" instead of "sen/sent"?
Yes. In Bokmål, both variants exist: sen/sent and sein/seint. sein/seint is more common in Nynorsk and some dialects, but Jeg er seint ute til jobbmøtet is perfectly acceptable Bokmål.
Where do other adverbs go with this phrase (ikke, alltid, i dag, dessverre)?
Typical placements:
- Jeg er ikke sent ute til jobbmøtet.
- Jeg er alltid sent ute.
- I dag er jeg sent ute.
- Jeg er dessverre sent ute.
Can I drop "til jobbmøtet" and still be understood?
Yes. Jeg er sent ute stands on its own; context usually makes it clear what you’re late for. If it’s about a task/deadline, switch to med:
- Jeg er sent ute med søknaden/rapporten.
How do I talk about being late in the past or future?
- Past: Jeg var sent ute til jobbmøtet. / Jeg kom for sent til jobbmøtet.
- Future/near future:
- Jeg blir (litt) sen (til jobbmøtet).
- Jeg kommer til å komme for sent. (more formal/explicit)
- Texting style: Jeg er der om ca. 10 min. Blir litt sen, beklager!
Is "forsinket" interchangeable with "sent ute"?
Often, yes, but with a nuance:
- forsinket (“delayed”) can imply external causes and sounds a bit more formal: Toget er forsinket. Jeg er forsinket.
- sent ute highlights that you’re starting late or behind schedule: Jeg er sent ute med oppgaven.
In everyday speech, both work to apologize for lateness.