Vakten varsler oss hvis døren står åpen.

The guard notifies us if the door is open.

Breakdown of Vakten varsler oss hvis døren står åpen.

• oss: us
• hvis: if
• døren: the door
• vakten: the guard
• varsle: to notify
• stå åpen: to be open

Questions & Answers about Vakten varsler oss hvis døren står åpen.

What does varsler mean here? Is it “warns” or “notifies”?

Both translations are possible, but nuance matters:

• å varsle (noen) = to notify/alert/inform (often neutral/formal).
• å advare (noen) = to warn (about danger or something negative).

In this sentence, Vakten varsler oss most naturally means “The guard notifies/alerts us.” If the focus were on danger, advarer would be more pointed.

Why is it oss and not vi?

Vi is the subject form (we). Oss is the object form (us). Here, the guard is the subject, and “us” is the object receiving the alert: Vakten (subject) varsler (verb) oss (object).

Why døren and not døra? Are both correct?

Yes, both are correct in Bokmål:

• døren = masculine/common-gender definite singular
• døra = feminine definite singular

Bokmål allows many nouns to be either masculine or feminine. Style preference or dialect influences which you pick.

What about Vakten vs Vakta?

Both are valid Bokmål for “the guard”:

• vakten (masculine/common-gender definite)
• vakta (feminine definite)

Note: vakt can also mean “shift/duty,” so vakta might mean “the shift” in some contexts. Here, context makes it clear it’s “the guard.”

Why står åpen instead of er åpen?

Norwegian often uses posture/position verbs to describe states:

• stå (stand), ligge (lie), sitte (sit), henge (hang)

For doors, står åpen is idiomatic and emphasizes the door’s physical position/state. Er åpen is also correct but more neutral. Using står sounds very natural for doors, windows, gates, etc.

How does the adjective agree? Why åpen and not åpne?

Predicative adjective agreement:

• Singular common gender: åpen (Døren står åpen.)
• Singular neuter: åpent (Vinduet står åpent.)
• Plural (all genders): åpne (Dørene står åpne.)

So with singular døren/døra, use åpen.

Is åpne the verb “to open”? How is it related to åpen?

• å åpne = to open (verb)
• åpen/åpent/åpne = open (adjective; forms depend on gender/number) In the sentence, åpen is an adjective, not the verb.

What’s the word order after hvis? Why not “hvis står døren åpen”?

After subordinators like hvis (if), the clause has normal subject–verb order:

• Correct: hvis døren står åpen
• Incorrect: hvis står døren åpen

Also note the placement of negation: hvis døren ikke står åpen (ikke comes before the main verb in subordinate clauses).

What happens if the if-clause comes first?

Fronting a subordinate clause triggers inversion in the main clause:

• Hvis døren står åpen, varsler vakten oss. You may optionally add så after the comma: Hvis døren står åpen, så varsler vakten oss.

Do I need a comma before hvis here?

• When the subordinate clause comes last (as in your sentence), Norwegian normally does not use a comma: … varsler oss hvis …
• If the subordinate clause comes first, use a comma after it: Hvis …, varsler …

How do you conjugate å varsle?

Regular verb (Bokmål):

• Infinitive: å varsle
• Present: varsler (Vakten varsler oss.)
• Preterite: varslet (Vakten varslet oss.)
• Perfect participle: varslet (Vakten har varslet oss.)
• Imperative: varsl! Common patterns:
• varsle noen (notify someone)
• varsle noen om noe (notify someone about something)
• varsle om at … (notify that …)

Is varsler ever a noun?

Yes:

• varsler = plural of varsel (warnings/notices)
• en varsler = a whistleblower In your sentence, varsler is the verb (present tense of å varsle).

Can I use om or når instead of hvis?

• hvis = if (conditional). Correct here.
• om = if/whether (mainly for indirect questions: Jeg vet ikke om døren står åpen = I don’t know whether the door is open). Not used for conditions like this in standard Bokmål.
• når = when (time, not condition). Would change the meaning.

Can I drop oss? Where does it go with negation?

• Dropping oss is possible: Vakten varsler hvis … = “The guard gives notice if …,” without saying to whom.
• With negation, the typical placement is after ikke: Vakten varsler ikke oss hvis … You may hear Vakten varsler oss ikke … too, but the most neutral is with ikke before the object pronoun.

Any common synonyms for varsle (noen)?

• gi beskjed (til noen) = give notice/let someone know
• si fra/si ifra (til noen) = let someone know
• melde fra (til noen) = report/notify
• More formal: underrette (noen), informere (noen)

Pronunciation tips for tricky letters here?

• å (in står, åpen): like the vowel in English “law,” rounded and long.
• ø (in døren): like the vowel in French “peu” or German “schön.”
• hv (in hvis) is pronounced like a plain v in most accents; h is silent.

What are the forms of dør (door)?

• Indefinite singular: en/ei dør
• Definite singular: døren/døra
• Indefinite plural: dører
• Definite plural: dørene

How does stå conjugate?

• Infinitive: å stå
• Present: står
• Preterite: sto (modern) or stod (more traditional)
• Perfect participle: stått Example: Døren sto åpen i går. / Døren har stått åpen lenge.

Can I say vil varsle for future meaning?

Norwegian often uses the present tense for future events, especially in conditionals: Vakten varsler oss hvis … Adding vil typically adds volition or likelihood, not a neutral future. Use simple present here.

How would I say “if the door is left open / remains open”?

• Neutral/idiomatic: Hvis døren står åpen (already good for “is/stands open”).
• To stress continuation: Hvis døren blir stående åpen = if the door remains/ends up staying open.