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Questions & Answers about Jeg kan kontakte deg i morgen.
Why is there no å before kontakte?
After modal verbs like kan/skal/vil/må/bør, Norwegian uses the bare infinitive without å. So it’s Jeg kan kontakte…, not Jeg kan å kontakte…. Use å when there’s no modal: Jeg liker å kontakte deg.
Is Jeg kan å kontakte deg i morgen ever acceptable?
No. After a modal (kan), the main verb must be in bare infinitive: kontakte. The version with å is ungrammatical.
What’s the difference between kan, skal, vil, and kommer til å for talking about the future?
- kan = can/might (ability/possibility): a non-committal offer.
- skal = will/going to (plan or promise): Jeg skal kontakte deg i morgen.
- vil = want to/will (willingness or desire): Jeg vil kontakte deg i morgen.
- kommer til å = is going to (prediction/likelihood): Jeg kommer til å kontakte deg i morgen.
Can I move i morgen to the start?
Yes: I morgen kan jeg kontakte deg. Norwegian main clauses obey verb-second (V2): the finite verb (kan) must come second.
Where does ikke go if I want to negate it?
After the finite verb: Jeg kan ikke kontakte deg i morgen. If you front the time phrase: I morgen kan jeg ikke kontakte deg.
How do I pronounce the sentence?
Approximate guide (varies by dialect):
- Jeg: “yai/yei” (some say “yeh” or “je”).
- kan: “kahn” (short a).
- kontakte: “kon-TAHK-teh” (stress on “-takt-”).
- deg: “dai” (like English “die” with a d).
- i: “ee”.
- morgen: “MOR-en” (the g is usually silent; r is a quick tap).
Is deg formal or informal? Does Norwegian have a formal “you”?
deg is the object of du and is used for both informal and formal singular “you” in modern usage. The very formal De/Dem exists but is rare/old-fashioned. For plural “you,” use dere.
What’s the plural “you” version of the sentence?
Jeg kan kontakte dere i morgen. (dere is both subject and object in the plural.)
Can I drop deg like in “I can contact tomorrow”?
No. You need the object: Jeg kan kontakte deg i morgen. If the person is already clear from context, you can rephrase: Jeg kan ta kontakt i morgen (“I can get in touch tomorrow”).
What’s the difference between kontakte, ta kontakt (med), and ringe?
- kontakte (no preposition): neutral, slightly formal “contact.”
- ta kontakt (med [noen]): very common, idiomatic “get in touch (with [someone]).”
- Method-specific: ringe (deg) “call you”, sende en melding (til deg) “send you a message.”
Is it i morgen or imorgen?
Standard Bokmål is two words: i morgen. One word (imorgen) is nonstandard, though common informally online. Nynorsk: i morgon. Colloquial spellings like i morra are informal.
Is i morgen related to “morning”? What about i morges?
Related, but fixed meanings:
- i morgen = tomorrow.
- i morges = this morning (earlier today).
- i morgen tidlig = tomorrow morning.
- Habitual “in the mornings”: om morgenen. Specific one-off “in the morning (of that day)”: på morgenen.
How do I make it a yes/no question?
Invert subject and modal: Kan jeg kontakte deg i morgen? (Rising intonation alone is less standard in writing.)
What about kunne instead of kan?
kunne is past/conditional and often more tentative or polite:
- Kunne jeg kontakte deg i morgen? = “Could I contact you tomorrow?”
- Jeg kunne kontakte deg i morgen hvis det passer. (hypothetical/conditional)
Can I use the present tense for a planned future?
Yes. Jeg kontakter deg i morgen = “I’ll contact you tomorrow” (a scheduled plan). Very common.
Why i and not på before a time word here?
Some time expressions take i: i dag, i morgen, i går, i kveld. Days of the week use på: på mandag/på fredag. So: … i morgen, but … på mandag.
How do I emphasize “tomorrow” or “you”?
- Emphasize “tomorrow” by fronting and stressing it: I morgen kan jeg kontakte deg.
- Emphasize “you” by stressing deg. For strong contrast, use a cleft: Det er deg jeg kan kontakte i morgen.
How does kontakte conjugate outside of this modal construction?
- Infinitive: å kontakte
- Present: kontakter
- Preterite: kontaktet
- Perfect: har kontaktet
Example: Jeg har kontaktet deg før.
Do I capitalize jeg like English “I”?
No. jeg is only capitalized at the start of a sentence or in titles. English I is always capitalized; Norwegian jeg isn’t.
Do I need a comma after a fronted time phrase?
No. Write I morgen kan jeg kontakte deg. (No comma after I morgen.)