Word
Han spiser alene når han jobber sent.
Meaning
He eats alone when he works late.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Questions & Answers about Han spiser alene når han jobber sent.
What does når mean here—does it mean when, whenever, or if?
It primarily means when. In the present tense it often implies a habitual whenever: He eats alone whenever he works late. It does not mean if; use hvis for if: Han spiser alene hvis han jobber sent. For a single event in the past, use da, not når.
Why is it når han jobber and not når jobber han?
In subordinate clauses introduced by når, Norwegian uses normal subject–verb order (SV), not V2. So it’s når han jobber, not når jobber han. V2 (verb in second position) applies in main clauses.
Can I put the når-clause first, and what happens to word order?
Yes: Når han jobber sent, spiser han alene. When a subordinate clause comes first, the following main clause obeys V2, so the verb spiser comes before the subject han. Include a comma after the fronted subordinate clause.
Do I need a comma in the original sentence?
No. When the subordinate clause comes after the main clause, you normally do not use a comma: Han spiser alene når han jobber sent. If you front it, you add a comma: Når han jobber sent, spiser han alene.
Why are both verbs in the present—does that cover is eating/is working?