Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Altså, jeg er opptatt; vi må gå nå.

It’s a discourse marker like English Well, So, or Look. It grabs attention and signals a conclusion or impatience: “Well/Look, I’m busy; we have to go now.”

Does altså mean also?

No. That’s a false friend. Altså ≈ so/therefore/well, while også means also/too.

Where can altså go, and does it affect word order?

As a “turn opener” (outside the clause): Altså, jeg er opptatt. No inversion; it’s just set off by a comma.
As a clause adverb meaning “therefore/in other words”:
- Clause-initial (triggers V2): Altså er jeg opptatt. (more formal/bookish)
- Mid-clause emphasis: Jeg er altså opptatt. (“I am, in fact, busy.”)

Is the comma after Altså necessary?

Recommended, yes. When altså is used as an interjection/discourse marker, Norwegian style guides advise a comma: Altså, …

What exactly does opptatt mean? How is it different from travel?

opptatt = busy/occupied/unavailable. It’s the everyday word.
It also means “taken/occupied” (a seat/line/room) and “in a relationship”: Er du opptatt? can be contextually ambiguous.
travel also means “busy,” but it’s more old-fashioned/formal or regional in Bokmål. Day to day, prefer opptatt.

Should I say jeg er opptatt nå?

Both Jeg er opptatt and Jeg er opptatt nå are fine. Adding nå stresses it’s immediate/temporary. In your sentence, the second clause already has nå, so repeating nå after opptatt isn’t necessary.

How do I say what I’m busy with?

Use opptatt med + [noun/å + infinitive] or opptatt av + [noun] (preoccupied with):

Jeg er opptatt med et møte.
Jeg er opptatt med å skrive.
Hun er opptatt av miljøet.

Does må mean “must” or “have to”? How does it compare with skal, bør, and trenger?

må = must/have to (necessity/obligation). Strong but can be softened (see below).
skal = scheduled/arranged plan or external obligation; also “going to.”
bør = should/ought to (advice).
trenger (å) = need (to).
Softening må: må nok, må nesten, må vel (We’ll probably/almost/ I guess have to).

After må, do I use å before the verb?

No. Modal verbs take bare infinitive: Vi må gå, Vi skal gå, Vi kan gå.
With non-modals you use å: Vi trenger å gå, Vi begynner å gå.

What’s the difference between gå, dra, and reise here?

gå = go/walk; also commonly “leave” regardless of transport: Vi må gå nå.
dra = go/leave (neutral for any transport): Vi må dra nå.
reise = travel/leave (longer trip, more formal).
Informal: Vi må stikke nå (“we gotta head out now”).

Is the semicolon natural in Norwegian?

Yes, it’s used like in English to link two closely related independent clauses. Many writers would also accept:

Altså, jeg er opptatt, så vi må gå nå.
Altså. Jeg er opptatt. Vi må gå nå.

Can I front nå and say Nå må vi gå?

Yes. That’s very idiomatic and slightly more urgent/emphatic. Remember V2: Nå må vi gå (verb in second position after the fronted nå).

How do I negate this properly? Is må ikke the same as “don’t have to”?

må ikke = must not (prohibition): Vi må ikke gå nå = We mustn’t leave now.
“Don’t have to” = trenger ikke (å) or behøver ikke (å): Vi trenger ikke å gå nå.

How would I ask this as a question?

Yes/no: Må vi gå nå?
With a question word: Når må vi gå?
Keep V2: the modal må comes right after the question word (or first in yes/no questions).

How can I make it softer/more polite?

Vi bør nok gå nå. (We should probably go now.)
Vi må nesten gå nå. (We kind of have to go now.)
Skal vi gå nå? (Shall we go now? — a polite suggestion)

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

altså: often said like AL-so or ALT-so (t can be weak/silent in some speech). å ≈ “aw” in “law.”
jeg: often like “yai/yei,” varies by region.
opptatt: stress first syllable; short vowels before double consonants: roughly “OPP-taht.”
må / gå / nå: long vowel with å (“maw / gaw / naw”).
Natural speech flows with a slight pause after Altså and a short pause at the semicolon.

Is there a Nynorsk version?

Yes: Altså, eg er oppteken; vi/me må gå no.
Nynorsk uses oppteken (for opptatt) and no (for nå). Both vi and me are accepted forms in Nynorsk.

Could I say “Let’s go now” instead?

Yes: La oss gå nå. That’s a suggestion, not an obligation, so it’s softer than Vi må gå nå.