Kurset starter tidlig, så jeg legger en påminnelse i kalenderen.

The course starts early, so I put a reminder in the calendar.

Breakdown of Kurset starter tidlig, så jeg legger en påminnelse i kalenderen.

• jeg: I
• en: a
• i: in
• tidlig: early
• så: so
• starte: to start
• legge: to put
• kalenderen: the calendar
• påminnelsen: the reminder
• kurset: the course

Questions & Answers about Kurset starter tidlig, så jeg legger en påminnelse i kalenderen.

Why is there a comma before «så», and does «så» mean “so/therefore” or “then” here?

• Here, så means “so/therefore,” linking cause and result. In Norwegian, when så connects two independent clauses, you normally put a comma before it: “…, så …”.
• If så means “then/after that” (a temporal adverb), you typically don’t use a comma and you get inversion: Så legger jeg… (“Then I put…”).
• Don’t confuse this with så as an intensifier before adjectives/adverbs (e.g., så tidlig = “so early”).

Why is present tense (starter) used to talk about a future event?

• Norwegian often uses the present tense for scheduled or planned future events: “The course starts [in the future]” = Kurset starter.
• Alternatives:
  • Kurset skal starte tidlig (intended/planned start; more about intention/arrangement).
  • Kurset begynner tidlig (see next Q for nuance).
  • Kurset kommer til å starte tidlig (more predictive; less typical for fixed schedules).

Can I say «Kurset begynner tidlig» instead of «Kurset starter tidlig»?

• Yes. starte and begynne both work here.
• Subtle nuance: starte is very common for events, courses, programs; begynne is fully natural too and sometimes a bit more general or colloquial. No real difference in meaning in this sentence.

What gender is «kurs», and why «kurset»?

• kurs is neuter: et kurs (a course).
• Definite singular adds -et: kurset (the course).
• Plurals: (mange) kurs (indefinite), kursene (definite).

Why «en påminnelse»? What are its forms?

• påminnelse is a common-gender noun in Bokmål, so the usual article is en: en påminnelse.
• Forms:
  • Indefinite sg.: en påminnelse
  • Definite sg.: påminnelsen
  • Indefinite pl.: påminnelser
  • Definite pl.: påminnelsene
• Nynorsk uses påminning.

Is «legger en påminnelse» idiomatic, or should it be «legger inn en påminnelse» / «setter opp en påminnelse»?

• All are understandable. The most idiomatic for digital contexts is often:
  • legger inn en påminnelse (adds/inputs a reminder),
  • oppretter en påminnelse (creates a reminder),
  • setter opp en påminnelse (sets up a reminder).
• Legger en påminnelse i kalenderen is fine, but many natives add the particle inn: legger inn ….

What’s the difference between «legger» and «ligger»?

• å legge (transitive: you lay/place something): jeg legger en påminnelse…, i går la jeg…, jeg har lagt….
• å ligge (intransitive: something lies/is located): påminnelsen ligger i kalenderen.
• Learners often mix them up because they look similar.

Why «i kalenderen» and not «på kalenderen»?

• Use i when you think of the calendar as a container/system you put entries “in” (especially digital calendars): i kalenderen.
• Use på when you mean physically “on” a surface (e.g., writing on a wall calendar): skrive det på kalenderen.
• In everyday speech about phone/computer calendars, i kalenderen is standard.

Do I need a possessive: «i kalenderen min»? Is «i min kalender» okay?

• All are possible:
  • i kalenderen min (most neutral/natural in Bokmål),
  • i min kalender (more formal/emphatic),
  • i kalenderen (the context may make it obvious it’s “my” calendar; otherwise add the possessive).
• If you want to be explicit that it’s yours, prefer i kalenderen min.

Where does negation go if I want to negate the second clause?

• Place ikke after the subject and the finite verb:
  • …, så jeg legger ikke inn en påminnelse i kalenderen.
• With indefinite objects, Norwegians often say ikke noen:
  • …, så jeg legger ikke inn noen påminnelse i kalenderen.

Could I write «…, så legger jeg en påminnelse i kalenderen»?

• Yes, but the meaning shifts:
  • …, så jeg legger … = “so/therefore I put …” (causal/result).
  • …, så legger jeg … = “then I put …” (sequential, like “and then…”). No comma if you start a new sentence: Så legger jeg …

Any tips on pronunciation?

• kurset: roughly “KOOR-seh” [ˈkʉːʂe] or [ˈkʉːʂət] (u = Norwegian /ʉ/).
• starter: “STAR-ter” [ˈstɑːʈər] (retroflex rt in many dialects).
• tidlig: “TEED-lee” [ˈtiːdli] (g often very light).
• så: long “soh” [soː].
• påminnelse: stress on first syllable: “PAW-minn-eh-leh-se” [ˈpòːmɪnːəlsə].
• kalenderen: stress on len: “ka-LEN-de-ren” [kɑˈlɛnːdərən].

Is there any difference between «så» and «derfor» here?

• Both can express result:
  • …, så jeg legger … (very common, informal-neutral).
  • …, derfor legger jeg … (slightly more formal; note inversion after derfor: verb comes right after it).
• With derfor, you cannot keep the subject immediately after it; you must follow V2 word order: …, derfor legger jeg ….

How is «tidlig» used and inflected? Why not «tidligt»?

• tidlig works as both adjective and adverb; it doesn’t take a -t in neuter: et tidlig kurs (not “tidligt”).
• Comparatives: tidligere (earlier), superlative: tidligst (earliest, adverb) / den tidligste (the earliest, adjective).
• As a plain time adverb, just tidlig: starter tidlig.

Why is the object before the place phrase: «legger en påminnelse i kalenderen»?

• Neutral word order in Norwegian typically puts the direct object before a following prepositional phrase of place/time: V + DO + PP.
• Hence: legger [en påminnelse] [i kalenderen] sounds more natural than moving the PP earlier.