Breakdown of Han spiser alene når han jobber sent.
han
he
spise
to eat
jobbe
to work
når
when
sent
late
alene
alone
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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?
Yes. Norwegian present tense covers English simple and continuous aspects. Han spiser can mean he eats or he is eating, and han jobber can mean he works or he is working. Context supplies the aspect.
Does alene mean lonely?
No. Alene means alone (by oneself). Ensom means lonely (feeling isolated). A neutral paraphrase for alone is for seg selv: Han spiser for seg selv.
Is alene the only correct form? I’ve seen aleine.
Both alene and aleine are accepted in Bokmål; alene is the more common standard form. In Nynorsk the form is åleine.
What about sent vs seint and senere?
Sent is the adverb/adjective neuter of sen (late). Seint is an accepted variant in Bokmål (and the norm in many dialects/Nynorsk). Comparative/superlative are senere (later) and senest (latest/at the latest): Han kom senere.
Could alene be modifying jobber instead (works alone)?
Position decides scope. In Han spiser alene når han jobber sent, alene modifies spiser (he eats alone). To say he works alone late: Han spiser når han jobber sent alene (a bit clunky) or better: Han spiser når han jobber alene til sent.
How do I negate this?
Place ikke after the finite verb in the main clause, and after the subject in the subordinate clause:
- Han spiser ikke alene når han jobber sent.
- Han spiser alene når han ikke jobber sent.
Is jobber the only option, or can I use arbeider?
Both are fine. Å jobbe is very common and conversational; å arbeide is a bit more formal. So you can say Han arbeider sent as well.
Can I add hver gang to emphasize whenever?
Yes: Hver gang han jobber sent, spiser han alene. This explicitly means every time.
What’s the pronunciation?
A common Oslo/Bokmål approximation: [hɑn ˈspiːsər ɑˈleːnə nɔːr hɑn ˈjɔbːər seːnt]. Notes: j in jobber is like English y; double consonant in jobber makes the preceding vowel short; r varies by dialect (tapped/trilled or uvular).
Can I drop the second han (…når jobber sent)?
No. Norwegian generally requires an explicit subject in each clause. Keep han in both: Han spiser alene når han jobber sent.
Is there a natural way to say works late as in stays late at work?
Yes: Han jobber sent, Han jobber til sent, or more specifically Han jobber sent på kvelden. If he’s doing overtime: Han jobber overtid.