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?