Breakdown of Etter jobben går jeg til minibanken for å ta ut penger.
Questions & Answers about Etter jobben går jeg til minibanken for å ta ut penger.
In everyday Norwegian, etter jobben literally means after the job / after work, and the definite form jobben usually implies my job / my workday (today).
- etter jobben = after (my) work (today / on that day)
- etter jobb can be used, but it sounds more like after work in general, or in some dialects/colloquial speech.
- etter arbeid is more formal and less common in daily speech; arbeid is a bit more abstract than jobb.
So etter jobben is the most natural way to say after work in a concrete, everyday context.
Norwegian is a V2 language (verb-second), like German. That means:
- The finite verb (here går) must be in the second position in a main clause.
- If you start the sentence with an adverbial like Etter jobben, that whole phrase counts as position 1.
- So the verb must come next: Etter jobben går jeg …
Word order pattern:
- Normal: Jeg går til minibanken … (subject first, then verb)
- With something in front: Etter jobben går jeg til minibanken … (adverbial – verb – subject)
Etter jobben jeg går breaks the V2 rule, so it’s ungrammatical.
Yes, Jeg går til minibanken etter jobben is perfectly correct.
The difference is mostly one of focus and rhythm:
- Etter jobben går jeg til minibanken …
Emphasizes the time frame after work first. - Jeg går til minibanken etter jobben …
Emphasizes I go to the ATM, and then adds when (after work) at the end.
Both are natural; Norwegians freely switch between them depending on what they want to highlight.
Gå literally means to walk, but in Norwegian it’s also used very broadly, similar to go in English:
- Etter jobben går jeg til minibanken …
Often implies you literally walk there, but it can also just mean I go / I head to.
Dra means to go / to leave / to travel and doesn’t say anything about the means of transport:
- Etter jobben drar jeg til minibanken …
= After work I go to the ATM (by car/bus/whatever).
Both are grammatically correct. If you want to stress that you walk, går is better; if you don’t care about how you travel, drar works fine.
The preposition depends on whether you’re talking about movement to a place or being in a place:
- til = to(wards) → used with movement/direction
- Jeg går til minibanken. = I go to the ATM.
- i = in/inside → used for location
- Jeg er i minibanken. = I am in the ATM area (inside the bank/room with the machine).
In your sentence, you are describing movement to the place, so til is correct: går … til minibanken.
En minibank is the normal word for an ATM / cash machine.
- en minibank = an ATM
- minibanken = the ATM (definite singular)
It is not usually understood as a tiny physical bank; it’s just the established term for an ATM. Some other words exist, like bankautomat, but minibank is very common and natural.
Grammatically:
- Gender: masculine (en minibank – minibanken).
Norwegian very often uses the definite form for specific, identifiable things, even when English might not use the.
In context, minibanken usually means the ATM I normally use / the one I have in mind.
- Jeg går til minibank would sound strange, as if you mean to some ATM, any ATM in a more abstract way.
- Jeg går til minibanken = I go to the ATM (the one near work, the usual one, etc.).
Using the definite form here is the most idiomatic choice.
for å + infinitive expresses purpose – it’s like in order to in English.
- … går jeg til minibanken for å ta ut penger.
= I go to the ATM (in order) to withdraw money.
Structure:
- for å
- infinitive verb (dictionary form)
- for å ta ut
- for å spise (to eat)
- for å lære norsk (to learn Norwegian)
- infinitive verb (dictionary form)
You generally need for å to clearly express why / for what purpose you’re doing something.
Ta ut is a particle verb (similar to English phrasal verbs like take out).
- ta = take
- ut = out
- ta ut together = withdraw (money), take out.
In a simple sentence, the particle stays with the verb:
- Jeg vil ta ut penger. = I want to withdraw money.
- Jeg tar ut penger. = I withdraw money / I am withdrawing money.
With pronouns, in Norwegian the particle still stays with the verb:
- Jeg tar dem ut. = I take them out.
You normally do not say ta penger ut in this fixed meaning of withdrawing money from an ATM; ta ut penger is the standard order.
Penger is a plural-only noun (pluralia tantum) in normal usage.
- You cannot say en penger or et penger.
- The basic form is penger (indefinite plural).
- Definite plural is pengene = the money.
Examples:
- Jeg har ikke penger. = I don’t have money.
- Jeg har lite penger. = I have little money.
- Hvor er pengene mine? = Where is my money? / Where are my money?
For specific units, you use other words:
- en mynt = a coin
- en seddel / en pengeseddel = a (bank)note.
Yes. Both are correct, but there is a nuance:
- Etter jobben går jeg til minibanken …
Can describe a habitual action (what I usually do after work)
or a planned near-future action, depending on context. - Etter jobben skal jeg gå til minibanken …
Sounds more like a specific plan or intention (I’m going to go to the ATM after work).
Norwegian often uses the present tense (går) to talk about near-future plans, just like English does (“I’m going to the ATM after work”).
Yes, that is also correct:
- Etter at jeg er ferdig på jobb, går jeg til minibanken …
Literally: After I am finished at work, I go to the ATM …
Differences:
- Etter jobben is shorter and very idiomatic for after work (today).
- Etter at jeg er ferdig på jobb is more explicit and slightly more formal or detailed.
Grammar point:
- etter
- noun → etter jobben
- etter at
- clause (subject + verb) → etter at jeg er ferdig på jobb.
Both are fine; your original sentence is the most natural everyday version.