Kan du bekrefte adressen?

Can you confirm the address?

Breakdown of Kan du bekrefte adressen?

• du: you
• kunne: can
• adressen: the address
• bekrefte: to confirm

Questions & Answers about Kan du bekrefte adressen?

Does kan here mean ability or is it just a polite request?

Both are possible in Norwegian, but in this sentence it functions like English “can you…?” as a polite request, not a literal question about your ability. It’s the most common way to ask someone to do something: Kan du bekrefte adressen?

Could I say vil instead of kan?

You can, but it changes the nuance:

• Kan du bekrefte adressen? = “Can you …?” (standard polite request)
• Vil du bekrefte adressen? = “Will you / Do you want to …?” (asks about willingness and can sound a bit more direct) For routine service interactions, kan is safer and more neutral.

How do I make this more polite or formal?

• Use the past tense modal to soften: Kunne du bekrefte adressen? (“Could you …?”)
• Add a polite phrase: Kan du være så snill å bekrefte adressen?
• In formal writing, use the imperative with “vennligst”: Vennligst bekreft adressen. Note: vennligst is common in written requests, but can sound stiff in everyday speech.

Why is it du and not deg?

Du is the subject form (“you” as the doer). Deg is the object form (“you” as the receiver). Since “you” are performing the action (confirming), you need the subject: Kan du … not Kan deg …

How do I say it to more than one person (plural you)?