Før vi legger oss, tenner vi et stearinlys på bordet.

Before we go to bed, we light a candle on the table.

Breakdown of Før vi legger oss, tenner vi et stearinlys på bordet.

• vi: we
• et: a
• på: on
• før: before
• legge seg: to go to bed
• bordet: the table
• tenne: to light
• stearinlyset: the candle

Questions & Answers about Før vi legger oss, tenner vi et stearinlys på bordet.

Why do we say legger oss and not just legger?

Norwegian often uses reflexive verbs for actions you do to yourself.

• å legge seg = to go to bed / to lie down (yourself)
• å legge (noen/noe) = to lay/put someone or something down

Because the subject is vi (we), the reflexive pronoun must match it:

• jeg legger meg – I go to bed
• du legger deg – you go to bed
• han/hun legger seg – he/she goes to bed
• vi legger oss – we go to bed
• dere legger dere – you (plural) go to bed
• de legger seg – they go to bed

So oss is required here. Without it, legger would need a direct object (e.g. vi legger boka på bordet – we put the book on the table).

Why is the verb order tenner vi instead of vi tenner in the second part?

This is the V2 word order rule in main clauses. In Norwegian main clauses, the finite verb (here: tenner) usually comes in second position, no matter what comes first.

The sentence is:

• Før vi legger oss, tenner vi et stearinlys på bordet.

Here, the first element of the main clause is the whole time phrase Før vi legger oss.
Because that phrase is in first position, the verb must come second, so we get:

1. Før vi legger oss,
2. tenner (verb)
3. vi (subject)

If you don’t move the time phrase, you get normal order:

• Vi tenner et stearinlys på bordet før vi legger oss.

Here, vi is first, so the verb still ends up second: vi tenner.

Why do we use the present tense legger and tenner if this is something we do regularly?

Norwegian uses simple present for:

• actions happening right now, and
• habitual or repeated actions (similar to we light a candle in English).

So vi legger oss can mean:

• we are going to bed (now), or
• we go to bed (whenever this situation happens).

If you want to emphasize that it’s a usual habit, you can add pleier å:

• Før vi legger oss, pleier vi å tenne et stearinlys på bordet.
  = Before we go to bed, we usually tend to light a candle on the table.

But it’s not necessary; plain present already covers repeated actions.

Why is there a comma after Før vi legger oss?

In Norwegian, a subordinate clause (leddsetning) used at the start of a sentence is normally followed by a comma.

• Før vi legger oss = subordinate clause
• tenner vi et stearinlys på bordet = main clause

Rule: Subordinate clause first → comma → main clause.

If you put the clauses in the other order, the comma usually disappears:

• Vi tenner et stearinlys på bordet før vi legger oss.
  (No comma needed here.)

Why is it Før vi legger oss and not Først vi legger oss?

før and først look similar but mean different things:

• før = before (shows an order in time between two events)

  • Før vi legger oss, … = Before we go to bed, …

• først = first (the first in a sequence of actions)

  • Først legger vi oss, så slukker vi lyset.
    = First we go to bed, then we turn off the light.

In your sentence, we want before we go to bed, not first we go to bed, so før is correct.

Why is it et stearinlys and not en stearinlys?

stearinlys is a neuter noun in Norwegian. Neuter nouns take:

• et in the indefinite singular
• stearinlyset in the definite singular

So we say:

• et stearinlys – a candle
• stearinlyset – the candle
• to stearinlys – two candles (no ending in the plural for many neuter nouns)

You just have to learn the gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) with each noun. Dictionaries usually list stearinlys (n.) or similar, where n. = neuter.

What’s the difference between stearinlys and lys?

• stearinlys = specifically a candle (a stick of wax with a wick)
• lys = light in general, and also can mean a light source (lamp, light, etc.)

So:

• et stearinlys – a candle
• et lys – a light (lamp/light source) or abstract light

If you said:

• Før vi legger oss, tenner vi et lys på bordet.

it would be understandable, but it sounds less specific and more like a light on the table rather than clearly a candle.

Why is it på bordet and not på et bord?

• på bordet = on the table (a specific table that is known in the situation)
• på et bord = on a table (some table, not specific)

In everyday contexts at home, people usually refer to shared, known objects in the definite form:

• på bordet, i sofaen, på kjøkkenet, etc.

So på bordet suggests “the table we’re both thinking of” (for example, the kitchen table).

Why do we use på with bordet here?

In Norwegian, på is typically used for “on (top of) surfaces”:

• på bordet – on the table
• på gulvet – on the floor
• på veggen – on the wall

Other prepositions would change the meaning:

• i bordet – in the table (inside it – usually wrong here)
• over bordet – above the table (not touching)

So på bordet is the normal way to say on the table.

Could I also say Vi tenner et stearinlys på bordet før vi legger oss? Is that still correct?

Yes, that’s perfectly correct and very natural.

Norwegian word order is flexible for time/place phrases and subordinate clauses. Both of these are fine:

• Før vi legger oss, tenner vi et stearinlys på bordet.
• Vi tenner et stearinlys på bordet før vi legger oss.

The meaning is the same. The first version puts extra emphasis on the time (“Before we go to bed…”), while the second feels a bit more neutral.

Is oss really necessary? Could I say Før vi legger, tenner vi et stearinlys …?

oss is necessary here.
å legge by itself is a transitive verb – it normally needs a direct object:

• Vi legger boka på bordet. – We put the book on the table.

To mean go to bed / lie down, Norwegian uses the reflexive form å legge seg:

• Vi legger oss. – We go to bed / lie down.

So Før vi legger oss is correct.
Før vi legger would sound incomplete and wrong unless a direct object follows (før vi legger barna, before we put the kids to bed).

What is the difference between å legge seg and å gå og legge seg?

Both can be used for going to bed, but there’s a nuance:

• å legge seg – to go to bed / lie down

  • Før vi legger oss, … – Before we go to bed, …

• å gå og legge seg – literally “to go and lie down”, often used when you physically go off to bed, with a slightly more casual or narrative feeling

  • Nå går vi og legger oss. – Now we’re going to bed (we’re off to bed now).

You could say:

• Før vi går og legger oss, tenner vi et stearinlys på bordet.

This sounds fully natural and emphasizes the action of going to bed a bit more, but the meaning in context is very close.

What’s the difference between Før vi legger oss and Når vi legger oss?

These conjunctions express different time relations:

• før = before (one event happens earlier than another)

  • Før vi legger oss, tenner vi et stearinlys.
    = Before we go to bed, we light a candle.

• når = when / whenever (at the same time, or each time something happens)

  • Når vi legger oss, tenner vi et stearinlys.
    = When we go to bed, we light a candle. (every time we go to bed, at that time)

In your original sentence, we want to show that lighting the candle happens earlier than going to bed, so før is the right word.