Breakdown of Når jeg er syk, hoster og har vondt i armen, sender jeg en tekstmelding til jobben.
jeg
I
være
to be
en
a
til
to
i
in
og
and
når
when
jobben
the job
sende
to send
tekstmeldingen
the text message
syk
sick
hoste
to cough
ha vondt
to have pain
armen
the arm
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Questions & Answers about Når jeg er syk, hoster og har vondt i armen, sender jeg en tekstmelding til jobben.
Why is it “sender jeg” and not “jeg sender” after the comma?
Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb is in second position. The whole when-clause (Når jeg er syk, hoster og har vondt i armen) occupies position 1, so the verb sender must come next, before the subject jeg: “…, sender jeg …”. If you start with the subject instead, you’d say: Jeg sender en tekstmelding til jobben når jeg er syk, hoster og har vondt i armen.
Why are there commas after syk and after armen?
- The comma after armen closes the subordinate when-clause before the main clause. That comma is required in Norwegian.
- The comma after syk is a normal list comma. The when-clause lists three things: er syk, hoster, (og) har vondt i armen. Norwegian separates list items with commas: A, B og C.
Why is it har vondt i armen and not har vondt i min arm?
With body parts, Norwegian typically uses the definite form without a possessive when the possessor is obvious: har vondt i armen = “my arm hurts.” You only add a possessive for contrast or clarity (e.g., armen min, “my arm (not someone else’s)”) or when context is ambiguous.
Why is vondt neuter here?
It’s the fixed pattern å ha vondt (i + body part). Vondt is the neuter form of the adjective vond but functions almost like a set expression here; it does not agree with armen. Compare:
- Jeg har vondt i armen.
- Armen er vond. (now the adjective agrees with the noun)
Can I say “Jeg hoster og armen min gjør vondt” instead?
Yes, it’s grammatical. Natural alternatives include:
- Jeg hoster og har vondt i armen. (most idiomatic)
- Det gjør vondt i armen (min).
- Armen min gjør vondt. The pattern with har vondt i is the most common in everyday speech.
Should it be når, da, or hvis at the start?
- Når = “when/whenever” for general or repeated situations (fits your sentence).
- Da = “when” for one specific time in the past: Da jeg var syk, sendte jeg …
- Hvis = “if”: Hvis jeg er syk, sender jeg … (more conditional than når).
Why is the present tense used (er, hoster, har, sender) if this is about the future?
Norwegian present is used for general truths and habits. Når jeg er syk, … sender jeg … means “Whenever I’m sick, I (habitually) send …” This is standard.
Why til jobben and not på jobben (or på jobb)?
- til jobben = “to the job/workplace” (direction/recipient: you send something to them).
- på jobben = “at work” (location: where you are).
- på jobb = “at work” (state of being at work; no article). In this sentence, the recipient reading your message is at your workplace, so til jobben is right.
Why is it the definite form jobben and not just jobb?
It refers to your specific workplace (“the job” = “my workplace”). Norwegian often uses the definite form in such familiar, context-known references.
Is tekstmelding the same as SMS? Any other options?
Yes. Common options:
- en tekstmelding (very clear)
- en SMS (also very common; slangy: en tekst or just en melding) All mean a text message. Spelling note: tekstmelding is one compound word in Norwegian (not “tekst melding”).
Why isn’t jeg repeated before hoster and har?
When several verbs share the same subject, you normally state the subject once and omit it for the following verbs: (Jeg) er syk, (jeg) hoster og (jeg) har vondt … You may repeat jeg for clarity or emphasis, and a very natural variant is: Når jeg er syk, hoster jeg og har vondt i armen, …
Why is jeg not capitalized like English “I”?
Norwegian does not capitalize the first-person singular pronoun. jeg is lowercase unless it starts a sentence.
Any quick pronunciation tips for tricky words here?
- Når ≈ nohr (å like “aw”)
- jeg ≈ yai/yei (varies by dialect)
- syk ≈ syewk (fronted y-sound, long vowel)
- hoster ≈ HUS-ter (short o like “book”)
- vondt ≈ vunt (the d is silent; final t is pronounced)
- armen ≈ AR-men
- tekstmelding ≈ TEKST-mel-ding (clear ks-t cluster)
- jobben ≈ YOB-ben (j = English y)
Are there more idiomatic ways to say “send a text to work”?
Yes:
- Jeg gir beskjed til jobben. (I let work know.)
- Jeg sier fra til jobben. (I inform work.)
- Jeg melder meg syk. (I report myself sick/officially call in sick.) If the channel matters, you can add it: … med en tekstmelding or … på SMS.
Could I say Når jeg blir syk instead of Når jeg er syk?
Yes, but the nuance changes:
- Når jeg er syk = when I’m in that state.
- Når jeg blir syk = when I get sick (at the onset). Both are fine; choose the one matching your meaning.