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Questions & Answers about Kan jeg ringe Dem i morgen?
What does Dem mean here, and how is it different from dem?
Dem with a capital D is the formal object pronoun meaning you (polite/singular). Lowercase dem means them (third-person plural). So ringe Dem = call you (formal), while ringe dem = call them. The capital D is crucial in writing to avoid confusion.
Is De/Dem actually used in modern Norwegian?
Rarely in everyday speech. Most Norwegians use du/deg even with strangers and show politeness through tone and phrasing. De/Dem may appear in very formal letters, customer-service scripts, or when addressing much older people in very traditional settings.
Should Dem always be capitalized?
Yes, when it’s the polite pronoun for you, write De (subject) and Dem (object) with a capital D. Without the capital, dem means them. Some style guides note that capitalized De/Dem looks old-fashioned, but if you use the polite pronoun at all, keep the capital to avoid ambiguity.
Can I just say deg instead of Dem?
Yes. Kan jeg ringe deg i morgen? is what most people would say and sounds perfectly natural. Use deg for one person, and dere for more than one person.
Do I need til as in ringe (til) Dem?
No. Ringe noen (call someone) is standard. Ringe til noen is also acceptable and common in some regions, but a bit longer. Note that ringe på means ring the doorbell.
What’s the difference between kan and kunne here?
Kan jeg ringe …? = Can/May I call …? neutral and common. Kunne jeg ringe …? is softer and more polite, like English Could I call …? Good when you want to sound extra courteous.
How do skal, vil, må, and får change the meaning?
- Skal jeg ringe deg i morgen? offers to call (Should I call you tomorrow?).
- Vil du at jeg skal ringe deg i morgen? asks if the other person wants that.
- Må jeg ringe deg i morgen? asks if I must/need to.
- Får jeg ringe deg i morgen? explicitly asks for permission (Am I allowed to?).
Why is the word order Kan jeg ringe …? Is that the normal pattern?
Yes. Yes/no questions invert the finite verb and the subject: Kan jeg …? In a statement, it’s Jeg kan ringe …. With a fronted time phrase you still keep the finite verb in second position in statements: I morgen kan jeg ringe deg.
How do you conjugate ringe?
- Infinitive: å ringe
- Present: ringer (Jeg ringer nå.)
- Preterite: ringte (Jeg ringte i går.)
- Past participle: har ringt (Jeg har ringt tre ganger.)
- Imperative: Ring meg!
Is it i morgen or imorgen?
Always two words: i morgen. Colloquial speech often says i morra, but the standard spelling is i morgen. For specificity: i morgen tidlig (tomorrow morning), i morgen kveld (tomorrow evening).
How do you pronounce the sentence?
Approximate guide (varies by region):
- Kan ≈ kahn
- jeg ≈ yai/ye (often jæi or je)
- ringe ≈ RING-eh
- Dem ≈ dehm (often short e)
- i morgen ≈ ee MOR-ren (often sounds like i morra in casual speech)
Is jeg capitalized like English I?
No. jeg is lowercase unless it starts a sentence. Norwegian does not capitalize the first-person singular pronoun in the middle of a sentence.
Can I move or omit i morgen?
Yes. Time expressions are flexible:
- End position is very common: Kan jeg ringe deg i morgen?
- Fronted in statements: I morgen kan jeg ringe deg. If you omit it, Kan jeg ringe deg? just asks for permission to call without specifying when.
How can I sound very polite without using Dem?
Use softer modal phrasing:
- Kunne jeg ringe deg i morgen?
- Er det i orden at jeg ringer deg i morgen?
- Passer det at jeg ringer deg i morgen? This is natural and polite in modern Norwegian.
What’s the Nynorsk equivalent?
Commonly: Kan eg ringje deg i morgon? (or dialectal ringa). The old polite De/Dykk exists historically but is very rarely used today; most people stick to du/deg forms.
How do I address multiple people?
Use dere for second-person plural: Kan jeg ringe dere i morgen? Remember, dem (lowercase) is them (third person), not you plural in standard writing.
Does kan mean ability or permission here?
Context decides. In this sentence it’s permission, like English may/can. For clear ability, use a statement like Jeg kan ringe deg i morgen (I’m able/available). For explicit permission, Får jeg ringe deg i morgen? works well.
Is there another verb for calling by phone?
You can also use telefonere, but it’s formal/less common in everyday speech. Ringe is the default in modern Norwegian. Also note the different meaning with a particle: ringe på = ring the doorbell.