Breakdown of Kan vi stole på at leveringen kommer i kveld?
Questions & Answers about Kan vi stole på at leveringen kommer i kveld?
Does stole mean “steal” here?
Why do we need the preposition på after stole?
stole på is a fixed prepositional verb that means “to trust (in).” You must say stole på noe/noen or stole på at + clause. Examples:
- Jeg stoler på deg. = I trust you.
- Vi stoler på at han kommer. = We trust that he is coming.
You can’t say stole without på in this meaning.
Why is it at and not om?
Use at to introduce a content clause (that-clause) stating something you consider true: stole på at ... = “trust that ...”.
Use om for indirect yes/no questions or wondering: lurer på om ... = “wonder if ...”.
So: stole på at leveringen kommer ..., but lurer på om leveringen kommer ....
What’s the word order inside the at-clause (at leveringen kommer i kveld)?
In Norwegian subordinate clauses (with at), the finite verb does not do V2 inversion. The basic order is Subject–(adverbs/negation)–Verb–(other elements):
- at leveringen kommer i kveld
- With negation: at leveringen ikke kommer i kveld
Why present tense (kommer) for a future event (“this evening”)?
Norwegian often uses the present tense for near or planned future: Han kommer i kveld. Alternatives and nuances:
- skal komme: planned/arranged (intention/plan)
- kommer til å komme: prediction/likelihood
- vil komme: willingness or sometimes prediction (less common in this sense than in English)
- Passive option: det blir levert i kveld = it will be delivered this evening
Why is it definite leveringen and not levering or en levering?
Because the delivery is specific and known in context. Norwegian marks definiteness with a suffix:
- Indefinite: en levering = a delivery
- Definite: leveringen = the delivery (this expected one)
In Bokmål, feminine forms are also possible for many -ing nouns, so some speakers would say leveringa (see also Nynorsk below).
Can I drop at like English sometimes drops “that”?
Not here. After stole på, if the complement is a clause, you keep at: stole på at ....
You can drop at after some verbs like tro (at) in informal speech, but with the preposition på, omitting at is not standard: stole på han kommer sounds wrong. Keep at.
Is Kan vi stole på leveringen i kveld? also correct?
What are natural synonyms for stole på at?
- regne med at: count on, expect as likely — Kan vi regne med at leveringen kommer i kveld?
- forvente at: expect (a bit stronger/formal) — Vi forventer at ...
- tro at: believe that (weaker) — Tror du at ...?
- ha tillit til at: have confidence that (formal) — Har vi tillit til at ...?
- More colloquial: satse på at (“bank on/hope that”), a bit casual.
How does negation work here?
- Negate the main clause: Kan vi ikke stole på at leveringen kommer i kveld? = Can’t we trust that...?
- Negate the subordinate clause: Kan vi stole på at leveringen ikke kommer i kveld? = Can we trust that it won’t come tonight? Note the placement: in subclauses, ikke precedes the verb; in main clauses with inversion, ikke follows the subject: Kan vi ikke ... / Kan vi virkelig ...
Why is the question formed with inversion (Kan vi ...)?
Yes/no questions in Norwegian typically invert the verb and subject (V1). With a modal, put the modal first:
- Declarative: Vi kan stole på at ...
- Question: Kan vi stole på at ...?
Any pronunciation tips?
- stole: the o is long, like “stoo-le” [ˈstuːlə]; stress on the first syllable.
- på: long vowel [poː].
- leveringen: stress on -ve- or -ri- depending on dialect; -ing- is like “sing” [ŋ]; final -en is a separate syllable.
- kveld: typically the d is silent; sounds like “kvel” [kvɛl].
- vi: [viː]; kommer: often [ˈkɔmːər] (geminate m).
What would this look like in Nynorsk (or with feminine forms)?
- Nynorsk: Kan vi/me lita på at leveringa kjem i kveld?
- Bokmål with feminine noun: Kan vi stole på at leveringa kommer i kveld? Nynorsk prefers lita på instead of stole på, and uses kjem for kommer.
Could I use a passive about the delivery?
Yes, if you want to focus on the event rather than the “delivery” as subject:
- Kan vi stole på at det blir levert i kveld? = Can we trust that it will be delivered tonight? This can sound a bit more neutral/impersonal.
Is i kveld exactly “tonight”? What about i natt or på kvelden?
- i kveld = this evening (roughly after late afternoon until night)
- i natt = tonight (the night-time period)
- på kvelden = in the evenings (habitual/general), not this specific evening
- i aften exists but is old-fashioned/poetic; i kveld is standard.
What are the forms of stole and the gender/inflection of levering?
- stole (to trust): å stole – stoler – stolte – har stolt; imperative Stol på meg!
- levering (delivery): in Bokmål usually masculine (also accepts feminine)
- Masc: en levering – leveringen – leveringer – leveringene
- Fem (also accepted in Bokmål): ei levering – leveringa – levering(er) – leveringane
- Nynorsk uses feminine: ei levering – leveringa
Should there be a comma before at?
Does Kunne vi stole på at ... change the tone?
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