Forresten kommer jeg litt sent.

By the way, I will be a little late.

Breakdown of Forresten kommer jeg litt sent.

• jeg: I
• komme: to come
• sent: late
• litt: a little

Questions & Answers about Forresten kommer jeg litt sent.

Why is the verb before the subject in kommer jeg?

Norwegian main clauses obey the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in the second position. When you front an element like Forresten (by the way), it occupies position 1, so the verb (kommer) must come next, and the subject (jeg) follows: Forresten kommer jeg …. This word order does not make it a question; punctuation and intonation show it’s a statement.

Can I also say Forresten, jeg kommer litt sent?

Yes. With a comma, forresten is a parenthetical “by the way,” so the main clause keeps normal word order: jeg kommer. Both are fine:

• Integrated (V2): Forresten kommer jeg litt sent.
• Parenthetical: Forresten, jeg kommer litt sent. What you should avoid is mixing them: Forresten jeg kommer litt sent (no comma, no inversion) is incorrect in standard Norwegian.

Do I need a comma after Forresten?

No, not if forresten is integrated into the clause: Forresten kommer jeg … (no comma). Use a comma only if it’s a parenthetical aside: Forresten, jeg kommer ….

What exactly does forresten mean, and how formal is it?