Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Hun spør meg om oversettelsen er korrekt, men jeg vet ikke helt. - She asks me whether the translation is correct, but I'm not really sure.

Hun spør meg om oversettelsen er korrekt = She asks me if/whether the translation is correct.
After verbs like spør (asks), lurer (på) (wonders), vet (knows), om introduces an indirect yes/no question:
- Jeg vet ikke om han kommer. = I don’t know if he is coming.
- Hun lurer på om du kan hjelpe. = She is wondering if you can help.

You generally do not use hvis (if) here. Hvis introduces a condition (“if X happens, then Y”), while om here introduces an indirect question (“whether X is true”).

What is the structure of “om oversettelsen er korrekt”? Is it a full sentence?

Yes, “om oversettelsen er korrekt” is a subordinate clause (an embedded sentence) functioning as the object of spør.

Main clause: Hun spør meg = She asks me
Subordinate clause: om oversettelsen er korrekt = if the translation is correct

Inside the subordinate clause, the word order is:

[om] [subject] [verb] [rest]
om oversettelsen er korrekt
- om = if/whether (subordinating conjunction)
- oversettelsen = the translation (subject)
- er = is (verb)
- korrekt = correct (predicative adjective)

Norwegian does not move the verb to the end like German; the verb still comes early in subordinate clauses.

Why is it “oversettelsen” and not just “oversettelse”?

Oversettelsen is the definite form: “the translation”, not just “a translation”.

en oversettelse = a translation (indefinite, singular)
oversettelsen = the translation (definite, singular)

You use the definite form when both speaker and listener can identify which specific translation you are talking about (for example, the translation they just worked on).

So the clause literally means:
“if the translation is correct”, not “if a translation is correct”.

What’s the difference between “korrekt” and “riktig” in Norwegian?

Both often mean “correct/right”, but there are some tendencies:

korrekt
- Slightly more formal or technical.
- Often used about grammar, spelling, formal answers, etc.
- Er denne setningen grammatisk korrekt? = Is this sentence grammatically correct?
riktig
- Very common, neutral everyday word for “right, correct”.
- Also used in many idioms: riktig svar (right answer), riktig vei (the right way), riktig person (the right person).

In this sentence, you could say “om oversettelsen er riktig” instead of “korrekt” without really changing the meaning.

Why is it “Hun spør meg” and not “Hun spør til meg”?

In Norwegian, the verb å spørre (to ask) takes a direct object without a preposition:

Hun spør meg. = She asks me.
Jeg spurte ham. = I asked him.
Spør læreren. = Ask the teacher.

You do not say “spør til meg”; that would be wrong. The person you ask is simply the object of the verb, just like in English (ask me, ask him).

What does “jeg vet ikke helt” literally mean, and how should I understand it?

Literally:

jeg = I
vet = know
ikke = not
helt = completely, entirely

So word for word: “I do not know completely.”

Natural English equivalents in this context are:

“I’m not quite sure.”
“I don’t really know.”
“I’m not entirely sure.”

Here helt softens the negation; “jeg vet ikke helt” sounds less absolute than “jeg vet ikke” (“I don’t know”). It suggests some uncertainty, not total ignorance.

Why is it “jeg vet ikke helt” and not “jeg vet helt ikke”?

Norwegian has a fairly fixed word order with ikke:

In simple main clauses: subject + verb + ikke + rest
- Jeg vet ikke helt. = I do not know completely.

Placing ikke after the verb is standard:

Jeg forstår ikke. = I don’t understand.
Vi kommer ikke i dag. = We’re not coming today.

“Jeg vet helt ikke” is incorrect word order and sounds ungrammatical to native speakers. The adverb helt normally goes after ikke here.

What nuance does “ikke helt” add compared to just “jeg vet ikke”?

Jeg vet ikke. = I don’t know.
- Sounds absolute: you simply don’t know.
Jeg vet ikke helt. = I’m not quite sure / I don’t really know.
- Softer, more tentative.
- Implies you maybe have an idea, but you’re not confident enough to say it’s correct.

This softening by adding helt is very common in spoken Norwegian.

How is “spør” related to the infinitive “å spørre”?

Å spørre is the infinitive “to ask”. It conjugates like this in the present and past:

Infinitive: å spørre = to ask
Present (now): spør = ask(s)
- Hun spør meg. = She asks me.
Preterite (past): spurte = asked
- Hun spurte meg. = She asked me.
Past participle: spurt
- Jeg har spurt henne. = I have asked her.

So spør is simply the present tense form used with all persons (jeg/du/han/hun/vi/de).

Why is there a comma before “men”: “…korrekt, men jeg vet ikke helt.”?

Men means “but” and is a coordinating conjunction that joins two main clauses:

Hun spør meg om oversettelsen er korrekt
jeg vet ikke helt

Norwegian punctuation rules say you normally put a comma before “men” when it connects two independent clauses:

Jeg vil gjerne komme, men jeg har ikke tid.
Det ser bra ut, men jeg er ikke sikker.

So the comma here follows that standard rule.

Why is the verb “er” (is) in second position in “oversettelsen er korrekt” and not at the end?

In Norwegian subordinate clauses, the basic order is:

(subordinator) + subject + (ikke) + verb + rest
- om
  - oversettelsen
    - er
      - korrekt

Norwegian does not push the verb to the end of the clause like German. So:

Correct Norwegian: om oversettelsen er korrekt
Incorrect: om oversettelsen korrekt er (this sounds wrong)

You only need to remember that the verb comes right after the subject (or after ikke, if there is a negation), even in subordinate clauses.