Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Vi sjekker varselet før vi planlegger reisen. - We check the warning before we plan the trip.

On its own, varsel is a general word for any kind of warning or notice. In many real-life contexts, if you’re talking about planning a trip, varselet will often be understood as:

the weather forecast / weather warning, or
some travel warning (road conditions, avalanche warning, etc.), depending on context.

If you wanted to be very explicit about the weather, you could say:

Vi sjekker værvarselet før vi planlegger reisen.
“We check the weather forecast before we plan the trip.”

But in everyday speech, varselet is often clear enough from context.

Why is it “varselet” (definite form) and not just “varsel”?

Norwegian uses the definite form when you and your listener both know which specific thing you’re talking about.

varsel = a warning / a forecast (indefinite)
varselet = the warning / the forecast (definite)

In this sentence:

Vi sjekker varselet før vi planlegger reisen.
“We check the forecast before we plan the trip.”

The idea is that there is a specific forecast that matters here (for that trip, for those dates/that area), not just “some warning in general.”

Grammatically, varsel is a neuter noun, so the definite singular ending is -et:

et varsel → varselet

Why is it “reisen” (definite) instead of “en reise”?

Same definiteness rule as with varselet.

en reise = a trip / a journey
reisen = the trip / the journey

The sentence is about a specific trip that both speaker and listener have in mind:

Vi sjekker varselet før vi planlegger reisen.
“We check the forecast before we plan the trip.”

If you said:

Vi sjekker varselet før vi planlegger en reise.

that would sound more like “before we plan a trip (some trip or other)” – more vague, less like a particular planned journey.

What are the full forms of “varselet” and “reisen” (gender, indefinite/definite)?

1. varsel (neuter)

Indefinite singular: et varsel – a warning
Definite singular: varselet – the warning
Indefinite plural: varsler – warnings
Definite plural: varslene – the warnings

2. reise (feminine, often treated as common gender)
Traditionally feminine (ei reise), but many speakers use masculine forms (en reise).

Indefinite singular: en/ei reise – a trip
Definite singular: reisen/reisa – the trip
- reisen (common/masculine pattern, very common)
- reisa (feminine pattern, also correct in many dialects)
Indefinite plural: reiser – trips
Definite plural: reisene – the trips

Your sentence uses the very standard form reisen.

Why is it “før vi planlegger reisen” and not something like “før vi reisen planlegger”?

Because “før vi planlegger reisen” is a subordinate clause (introduced by the conjunction før = “before”).

In Norwegian:

In main clauses, the verb tends to be in second position (V2):
- Vi planlegger reisen. – We plan the trip.
- I morgen planlegger vi reisen. – Tomorrow we plan the trip.
In subordinate clauses (introduced by words like før, fordi, at, når, hvis), the typical order is:
- Subject – Verb – (Object/etc.)
- før vi planlegger reisen (subject vi, then verb planlegger)

So:

✅ før vi planlegger reisen – natural Norwegian
❌ før vi reisen planlegger – unnatural; the verb is too late in the clause

Can “før vi planlegger reisen” mean future time even though it’s present tense?

Yes. Norwegian present tense often covers:

present actions:
- Vi sjekker varselet nå. – We are checking the forecast now.
habitual/general actions:
- Vi sjekker alltid varselet. – We always check the forecast.
near future or planned future:
- Vi sjekker varselet før vi planlegger reisen.
  → We (will) check the forecast before we plan the trip.

So even though sjekker and planlegger are present tense forms, the sentence can easily refer to a future sequence of actions in context.

Could I say “Vi skal sjekke varselet før vi planlegger reisen”? What’s the difference?

Yes, that’s correct Norwegian, with a slightly stronger future feel.

Vi sjekker varselet før vi planlegger reisen.
- Could be a habit (“We usually do this”) or a plan (“We’ll do this”).
Vi skal sjekke varselet før vi planlegger reisen.
- Emphasizes a planned / intended future action:
  “We are going to check the forecast before we plan the trip.”

Both are fine; skal + infinitive makes the future plan more explicit.

Can I say “før å planlegge reisen” instead of “før vi planlegger reisen”?

No, not in standard Norwegian.

før is a subordinating conjunction here, meaning “before” in a time clause.
It introduces a clause with a subject and a verb:
- før vi planlegger reisen

Før å + infinitive is generally not used to mean “before doing X” in Norwegian. Instead, you use:

før + clause:
- før vi planlegger reisen – before we plan the trip
- før du legger deg – before you go to bed

So:

✅ Vi sjekker varselet før vi planlegger reisen.
❌ Vi sjekker varselet før å planlegge reisen.

Do I need a preposition with “sjekker varselet”, like “sjekker på varselet”?

No. The verb sjekke takes a direct object without a preposition:

å sjekke noe – to check something
Vi sjekker varselet. – We check the forecast.

So:

✅ Vi sjekker varselet …
❌ Vi sjekker på varselet … (incorrect/unnatural here)

Compare:

English: “check the forecast” (no preposition)
Norwegian: sjekke varselet (same idea – no preposition)

What’s the difference between “reise” and “tur”? Could I say “planlegger turen”?

Yes, you can say “planlegger turen”, and it’s very natural.

Rough differences:

reise – trip/journey, often a bit more formal or neutral, can be longer or more “serious”:
- en reise til Japan – a trip to Japan
- forretningsreise – business trip
tur – trip, outing, ride, walk, etc.; often shorter / more casual / more concrete:
- en tur i skogen – a walk in the forest
- en tur til byen – a trip to town

Your sentence with tur:

Vi sjekker varselet før vi planlegger turen.
→ “We check the forecast before we plan the trip/outing.”

Both reisen and turen are possible; choose based on whether it feels like a more general journey (reise) or more like a specific outing (tur).

Can I move “før vi planlegger reisen” to the front of the sentence, and what happens to the word order then?

Yes, you can front the time clause. When you do so, the main clause still follows the V2 rule (finite verb in second position):

Original:
- Vi sjekker varselet før vi planlegger reisen.
Fronted subordinate clause:
- Før vi planlegger reisen, sjekker vi varselet.

Notice in the main clause after the comma:

Verb (sjekker) comes before the subject (vi):
- … sjekker vi varselet.

So:

Subordinate clause: før vi planlegger reisen (subject before verb)
Main clause: sjekker vi varselet (verb in second position)

Are “vi sjekker” and “vi planlegger” both present tense? How are those verbs formed?

Yes, both are present tense forms.

sjekker (from å sjekke)
- Infinitive: å sjekke – to check
- Present: sjekker – (I/you/we/they) check
- Past: sjekket
- Past participle: har sjekket
planlegger (from å planlegge)
- Infinitive: å planlegge – to plan
- Present: planlegger – (I/you/we/they) plan
- Past: planla
- Past participle: har planlagt

In present tense, Norwegian doesn’t change the ending for person:

jeg/du/han/vi/de sjekker – all the same form
jeg/du/han/vi/de planlegger – same form for all subjects.