Jeg skriver en e-post samtidig som jeg drikker kaffe.

I write an email while I drink coffee.

Breakdown of Jeg skriver en e-post samtidig som jeg drikker kaffe.

• jeg: I
• en: a
• drikke: to drink
• skrive: to write
• kaffen: the coffee
• e-posten: the email
• samtidig som: while

Questions & Answers about Jeg skriver en e-post samtidig som jeg drikker kaffe.

Why is it Jeg skriver and not something like “I am writing” with a special progressive form?

Norwegian usually uses the simple present for ongoing actions. Jeg skriver naturally means “I am writing (right now).” Don’t say Jeg er å skrive (that’s ungrammatical). If you want to emphasize the ongoing process, you can say:

• Jeg holder på å skrive (en e-post).
• Jeg er i ferd med å skrive (en e-post).

Can I replace samtidig som with mens?

Yes. Mens is shorter and very common: Jeg skriver en e-post mens jeg drikker kaffe.
Nuance: mens can also mean “whereas,” while samtidig som focuses clearly on simultaneity. In everyday speech, mens is often the most natural choice.

Do I have to repeat jeg in the second clause? Could I say “... samtidig som drikker kaffe”?

You must repeat the subject. Each finite clause in Norwegian needs its subject: ... samtidig som jeg drikker kaffe.
To avoid repetition, restructure: Samtidig skriver jeg en e-post og drikker kaffe.

What happens to word order if I start with the time clause?

If the subordinate clause comes first, the main clause inverts (V2 word order):

• Samtidig som jeg drikker kaffe, skriver jeg en e-post. Verb comes before the subject in the main clause after an initial clause or adverbial.

Where does ikke go in this sentence?

• In the main clause (V2): Jeg skriver ikke en e-post ... (verb before the negation)
• In the subordinate clause: ... samtidig som jeg ikke drikker kaffe. (subject + ikke + verb)

Do I need a comma before or after samtidig som?

• No comma when the main clause comes first: Jeg skriver ... samtidig som jeg drikker ...
• Use a comma when the subordinate clause comes first: Samtidig som jeg drikker kaffe, skriver jeg ...

Why is it en e-post? Is e-post countable or uncountable?

Both exist:

• Countable “one message”: en e-post, e-posten, e-poster, e-postene.
• Mass/uncountable: e-post (the medium in general), e.g., Jeg liker e-post (“I like email”). In practice, using en e-post for “an email (message)” is common and accepted.

Is the spelling e-post fixed? What about “epost” or “email/mail”?

The recommended standard is e-post (with a hyphen). You’ll see epost informally, but many style guides prefer the hyphen. English email or mail occurs in casual speech/writing; neutral/formal Norwegian uses e-post.

Why is there no article with kaffe in jeg drikker kaffe?

Kaffe is a mass noun here, so no article: “I’m drinking coffee.”
For one serving you can say:

• Jeg drikker en kaffe (café style: “a coffee”),
• or more clearly: Jeg drikker en kopp kaffe (“a cup of coffee”). Specific coffee: Jeg drikker kaffen (“the coffee”).

How do I pronounce the words?

Approximate pronunciations (vary by dialect):

• jeg: [jæi]/[jæ] (like “yai”/“ya”)
• skriver: ['skriː-vər]
• en: [en]
• e-post: ['eː-pɔst]
• samtidig: [sam-'tiː-dig] (the g often soft)
• som: [som]
• jeg (again): [jæi]/[jæ]
• drikker: ['drik-ker] (double k = longer k)
• kaffe: ['kaf-fe] (double f = longer f)

Are the verb forms regular here?

Present tense adds -r:

• å skrive → skriver (past: skrev, perfect: har skrevet)
• å drikke → drikker (past: drakk, perfect: har drukket) Both are common irregular paradigms you’ll use a lot.

Can I drop som and say samtidig jeg drikker kaffe?

No. The fixed expression is samtidig som. Without som, it’s ungrammatical. If you don’t want som, use mens instead.

Can I move samtidig and phrase it differently?

Yes. You can use samtidig as an adverb and coordinate:

• Jeg skriver en e-post og drikker kaffe samtidig. Or front it:
• Samtidig skriver jeg en e-post og drikker kaffe.

Where do I put nå if I want to mean “right now”?

Options:

• Nå skriver jeg en e-post samtidig som jeg drikker kaffe. (fronted adverb → inversion)
• Jeg skriver en e-post samtidig som jeg drikker kaffe nå. Both are fine; the first is often clearer.

Is ei e-post or et e-post possible?

No. E-post is masculine in standard Bokmål, so use en e-post. (Some dialects use ei for feminine nouns, but e-post isn’t feminine.)

Could I use just mens to avoid repeating the subject twice?

You still need the subject in the mens-clause: ... mens jeg drikker kaffe.
If avoiding repetition is your goal, coordinate instead: Samtidig skriver jeg en e-post og drikker kaffe.