Questions & Answers about Vaskemaskinen er full, så vi tørker resten i tørketrommelen.
Why is "vaskemaskinen" in the definite form, and how is it formed?
Because you’re referring to a specific, known washing machine. Norwegian marks definiteness with a suffix:
- Indefinite: en vaskemaskin = a washing machine
- Definite: vaskemaskinen = the washing machine
Does "full" mean “finished”? Could it also mean “drunk”?
Here, full means “full/loaded (with clothes).” If you mean the machine has finished running, use ferdig: “Vaskemaskinen er ferdig.” Note that with people, full means “drunk”: “Jeg er full.”
Why is there a comma before "så," and is the word order after it correct?
You’re linking two independent clauses, so Norwegian normally uses a comma. In this use (“so/therefore”), så functions as a connector, and the following clause keeps normal subject–verb order: så vi tørker … is correct.
Could I instead say “…, så tørker vi resten i tørketrommelen”?
Yes, that version with inversion (så tørker vi …) is also common, especially in speech. It treats så more like a sentence adverb (“then/so”), which triggers inversion. In careful writing, …, så vi tørker … (no inversion) is the safer choice; or split into two sentences: “Vaskemaskinen er full. Så tørker vi resten …”