Jeg har nettopp sendt en melding til sjefen.

I have just sent a message to the boss.

Breakdown of Jeg har nettopp sendt en melding til sjefen.

• jeg: I
• ha: to have
• en: a
• til: to
• sende: to send
• sjefen: the boss
• meldingen: the message
• nettopp: just

Questions & Answers about Jeg har nettopp sendt en melding til sjefen.

Why is it har sendt (present perfect) and not sendte (simple past)?

Both are possible with nettopp.

• Jeg har nettopp sendt … highlights that the action is very recent and relevant now.
• Jeg sendte nettopp … simply places the action in the (very) recent past. Use the simple past with explicit past-time adverbs (i går, for fem minutter siden). Don’t combine present perfect with those.

Where does nettopp go in the sentence?

After the finite verb in main clauses. Here the finite verb is har, so: Jeg har nettopp sendt …. With a simple past verb, it goes after the verb: Jeg sendte nettopp ….

Is there a difference between nettopp, akkurat, and nå nettopp?

• nettopp and akkurat both mean just (now). Akkurat can sound a bit more colloquial in some areas.
• nå nettopp means just now and emphasizes immediacy.
• nettopp can also mean exactly/indeed as a reply: Nettopp! (not the meaning here).

Can I say Jeg har nettopp sendt sjefen en melding?

Yes. Two natural patterns:

• Jeg har nettopp sendt sjefen en melding. (indirect object before the direct object)
• Jeg har nettopp sendt en melding til sjefen. (with til + recipient) With pronouns, til + pronoun is very common: Jeg har sendt en melding til ham/henne. The double-object version also works: Jeg har sendt ham/henne en melding.

Why is it sjefen (the boss) and not sjef?

The definite suffix -en marks a specific, known referent. In everyday contexts, sjefen often implies your boss. If you want to be explicit, say sjefen min. Using en sjef would mean a boss (unspecified).

sjefen min or min sjef—what’s the difference?

Both mean my boss.

• sjefen min is the neutral default.
• min sjef is more contrastive/emphatic or descriptive (my boss, as opposed to someone else’s).

Why en melding and not ei melding? What gender is melding?

In Bokmål, melding can be masculine or feminine. Both are correct:

• Masculine: en melding – meldingen – meldinger – meldingene
• Feminine (in Bokmål): ei melding – meldinga; the plural usually remains meldinger/meldingene in Bokmål even if you use ei/-a in the singular. Choose one system and be consistent.

What are the forms of the verb sende?

• Infinitive: å sende
• Present: sender
• Preterite: sendte
• Past participle: sendt (used with har: har sendt)

Can I move parts of the sentence to the front (V2 word order)?

Yes. Norwegian main clauses are V2 (the finite verb is in second position):

• Neutral: Jeg har nettopp sendt en melding til sjefen.
• Topicalized recipient: Til sjefen har jeg nettopp sendt en melding. Starting with Nettopp is unusual for the time meaning; initial Nettopp is typically read as exactly.

How do I make it negative?

Place ikke after the finite verb:

• Jeg har ikke sendt en melding til sjefen. If you specifically negate just now (less common):
• Jeg har ikke nettopp sendt en melding … Often you’ll drop nettopp when negating and, if needed, use noen for any:
• Jeg sendte ikke noen melding til sjefen.

Why til sjefen and not for sjefen?

• til marks a recipient/direction: en melding til sjefen = a message to the boss.
• for means for/on behalf of/because of/in front of: Jeg skrev rapporten for sjefen (on the boss’s behalf). With sende, use til.

Are there more specific words than melding?

Yes:

• en tekstmelding / en SMS = a text message
• en e-post = an email
• en DM / en direktemelding (on chat platforms)
• en beskjed = a message/notice; common in the idiom gi beskjed (til) = let (someone) know

Pronunciation tips for the sentence?

• sj in sjefen is the “sh” sound [ʃ].
• jeg is commonly [jæi] or [jæ].
• ng in melding is [ŋ] (as in English sing).
• r in har varies by dialect (trilled [r] or uvular [ʁ]).

How do I say I had just sent …?

Use past perfect (hadde + past participle):

• Jeg hadde nettopp sendt en melding til sjefen da …

Is jeg capitalized like English I?

No. jeg is lowercase in Norwegian, except at the start of a sentence.

sjef vs leder—what should I use?

• sjef = boss (your direct superior; hierarchical)
• leder = leader/manager (role/title, often neutral/formal) In this sentence, sjefen naturally means your boss.

Can I say Jeg har nettopp sendt til sjefen en melding?

No, that word order is not natural. Say either:

• Jeg har nettopp sendt sjefen en melding.
• Jeg har nettopp sendt en melding til sjefen.

Does bare also mean just?

bare usually means only/merely, not just now. For temporal just, use nettopp or akkurat.

• Jeg har bare sendt én melding = I have only sent one message.