Word
Samtidig som barna leker, lager hun middag.
Meaning
While the children play, she makes dinner.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Samtidig som barna leker, lager hun middag.
hun
she
barnet
the child
lage
to make
middagen
the dinner
Questions & Answers about Samtidig som barna leker, lager hun middag.
What does the connector in samtidig som do, and how is it different from mens?
Both introduce a subordinate clause meaning “while/at the same time as.”
- samtidig som literally “at the same time as,” slightly more explicit/formal about simultaneity.
- mens is shorter and very common in everyday speech. They’re interchangeable here:
- Samtidig som barna leker, lager hun middag.
- Mens barna leker, lager hun middag.
Why is it lager hun middag and not hun lager middag after the comma?
Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule (the finite verb is in second position). When a subordinate clause comes first, it occupies position 1, so the finite verb of the main clause must come next:
- Fronted subclause + main clause: Samtidig som …, lager hun middag.
- If you start with the main clause, it’s ordinary order: Hun lager middag …
Can I swap the order of the clauses?
Yes: Hun lager middag samtidig som barna leker.
- In this order, you normally do not use a comma before the subordinate clause.
- With mens: Hun lager middag mens barna leker.
Why is there a comma after the first clause?