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Kan du bekrefte adressen?

Kan du bekrefte adressen?
Can you confirm the address?
FromLesson 33inHardcore Norwegian

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)?
Use dere for plural: Kan dere bekrefte adressen?
Is there a formal “you” like German Sie?
Norwegian historically had De (formal singular), but it’s now rare and can feel old-fashioned. In modern usage, stick to du (singular) and dere (plural), even in polite contexts. Politeness is shown through wording and tone, not a special pronoun.
Why is it adressen (definite) and not adresse (indefinite)?
Because you’re referring to a specific, known address, so you use the definite form: adressen (“the address”). adresse (“an address”) would sound like you mean any address in general, not a particular one.
What gender is adresse, and what are the forms?

In Bokmål, adresse can be treated as masculine or feminine:

  • Masculine (most common in standard Bokmål): en adresse – adressen – adresser – adressene
  • Feminine (also allowed in Bokmål): ei adresse – adressa – adresser – adressene In Nynorsk, it’s feminine: ei adresse – adressa. That’s why you may see adressa in some texts/dialects.
Can I add “your” to be explicit? Which word order is right?

Yes. Postposed possessives are most natural:

  • Singular (to one person): Kan du bekrefte adressen din?
  • Plural (to several people): Kan dere bekrefte adressen deres? Preposed is possible but more formal/emphatic: Kan du bekrefte din adresse?
What’s the word order rule in this question?

Yes/no questions typically start with the verb (inversion):

  • Kan (verb) + du (subject) + bekrefte (bare infinitive) + adressen (object). In casual speech you may also hear a declarative with rising intonation: Du kan bekrefte adressen? (still ends with a question mark in writing).
Why is there no å before bekrefte?

Modal verbs (e.g., kan, vil, skal, må, bør, kunne) take a bare infinitive without å:

  • Kan du bekrefte …, not kan du å bekrefte …
Can I use the imperative instead?

Yes, but it’s more direct:

  • Bekreft adressen, takk. (polite but imperative)
  • Very formal writing: Vennligst bekreft adressen. In everyday speech, Kan du … or Kunne du … usually sounds friendlier.
Are there good synonyms for bekrefte here?
  • Stadfeste (more formal/administrative; common in Nynorsk): Kan du stadfeste adressen?
  • Verifisere (technical/ID-check contexts): Kan du verifisere adressen?
  • Dobbeltsjekke (colloquial “double-check”): Kan du dobbeltsjekke adressen? Be careful: godkjenne means “approve,” not “confirm (that it’s correct).”
How do I pronounce the whole sentence?

Standard Eastern Norwegian (approx.):

  • IPA: [kɑn dʉː bəˈkrɛftə ɑˈdrɛsːn̩]
  • Tips: stress on kre- in bekrefte and on dres- in adressen; the final -en in adressen is often a syllabic n.
How do I report this question indirectly?

Use om (if/whether) and normal word order:

  • Han spør om du kan bekrefte adressen. No question mark is used in indirect questions.
Is vennligst okay in speech?

It’s understood, but often sounds stiff or bureaucratic in conversation. More natural in speech:

  • Kan du bekrefte adressen, takk?
  • Kunne du bekrefte adressen?
  • Kan du være så snill å bekrefte adressen?
How do I answer yes/no naturally?
  • Yes: Ja, det kan jeg. / Ja, den er riktig. / Ja, adressen er [X].
  • No: Nei, jeg kan ikke. / Nei, den stemmer ikke. / Nei, korrekt adresse er [X].
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