Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Etter turen pakker vi ut sekkene og fyller termosene for neste dag. - After the trip we unpack the backpacks and fill the thermoses for the next day.

So Etter turen is naturally translated as After the trip (or After the hike), and the definite form -en matches that idea of a specific event.

Why does the sentence start with Etter turen? Could I also put it later, like in English?

Yes, you can move that time expression, just as in English.

The original:

Etter turen pakker vi ut sekkene og fyller termosene for neste dag.

Alternative word orders that are also correct:

Vi pakker ut sekkene og fyller termosene for neste dag etter turen.
Vi pakker ut sekkene etter turen og fyller termosene for neste dag.

Norwegian, like English, allows time and place expressions at the beginning for emphasis or flow. Starting with Etter turen puts focus on when this happens, and then comes the main action.

Just remember: in a main clause, if you move something in front (like Etter turen), the verb still has to come second. That’s why we get Etter turen pakker vi…, not Etter turen vi pakker….

Why is it pakker vi and not vi pakker after Etter turen?

This is the classic verb-second (V2) rule in Norwegian main clauses:

The finite verb (here: pakker) must be the second element in the clause.
The first element can be the subject, an adverb, a time expression, etc.

Compare:

Normal order (subject first):
- Vi pakker ut sekkene.
  First element: Vi (subject)
  Second element: pakker (verb)
With a time phrase in front:
- Etter turen pakker vi ut sekkene.
  First element: Etter turen (time/adverbial)
  Second element: pakker (verb)
  Subject vi now comes after the verb.

So Etter turen vi pakker… would break the V2 rule and is ungrammatical in standard Norwegian.

What is the role of etter here, and how is it different from etterpå?

Etter is a preposition meaning after, used before a noun or noun phrase:

etter turen – after the trip
etter middagen – after dinner
etter skolen – after school

Etterpå is an adverb meaning afterwards / later (on), not followed by a noun:

Vi pakker ut sekkene etterpå. – We unpack the backpacks later / afterwards.

So you say:

Etter turen pakker vi ut sekkene… (preposition + noun)
but
Etterpå pakker vi ut sekkene… (adverb only, nothing after it).

You can think of it like English after (prep) vs afterwards / later (adverb).

How does pakker vi ut sekkene work? Why do you need ut, and where does it go?

Å pakke by itself means to pack.

Å pakke ut is a phrasal verb meaning to unpack (literally pack out). The ut is necessary to give it that meaning.

Word order options:

Standard: Vi pakker ut sekkene. – We unpack the backpacks.
With fronted time phrase: Etter turen pakker vi ut sekkene.

Here ut normally sits right after the verb and before the object: pakker ut sekkene.

You can sometimes move ut after the object, but that sounds more marked and less neutral:

Vi pakker sekkene ut. – Understandable, but more unusual, often used for emphasis or in specific rhythms.

For learners, it’s safest (and most natural) to keep ut directly after pakker in this construction: pakker ut + object.

What does sekkene mean exactly, and how is it formed?

Sekk is a masculine noun meaning backpack, bag, or sack (here: backpacks).

Its main forms:

en sekk – a backpack (indefinite singular)
sekken – the backpack (definite singular)
sekker – backpacks (indefinite plural)
sekkene – the backpacks (definite plural)

In the sentence, sekkene = the backpacks (definite plural). They are talking about their own, specific backpacks that everyone knows about, so Norwegian uses the definite plural.

Compare:

Vi har sekker. – We have backpacks.
Vi pakker ut sekkene. – We unpack the backpacks (the ones we have just used).

What about termosene? How is that different from termos or en termos?

Termos is a noun meaning thermos flask / insulated bottle. In practice, Norwegians often say termos for the object. It behaves as a masculine noun in this sentence.

Typical forms:

en termos – a thermos
termosen – the thermos
termoser – thermoses
termosene – the thermoses

So fyller termosene = (we) fill the thermoses (again, specific, known items – their own thermoses).

Just like sekkene, termosene is definite plural: the thermoses.

Why is it just fyller termosene and not fyller opp termosene? Is there a difference?

Both fylle and fylle opp can be used, but there is a nuance:

å fylle noe – to fill something (neutral, can be partial or full, context decides)
- fylle termosene – fill the thermoses
å fylle opp noe – to fill something up (often more clearly all the way, to the top)
- fylle opp termosene – fill the thermoses up (to full capacity)

In many everyday contexts, Norwegians will just say fylle termosene even when they obviously mean fill them up. Opp is optional and just makes the idea of “completely full” a bit stronger.

So fyller termosene here is completely natural and does not sound incomplete.

What exactly does for neste dag mean, and why do we use for here?

For here expresses purpose / intended time:

for neste dag ≈ for the next day / for the following day

It signals that they are filling the thermoses with the next day in mind, to be used then.

Similar patterns:

Vi lager mat for kvelden. – We make food for the evening.
Han sparer penger for framtiden. – He saves money for the future.

You could also say:

…og fyller termosene til neste dag.
This is also used and sounds natural; til then means for / until in the sense of ready for that time.

For neste dag is a bit more neutral and can feel slightly more written/formal; til neste dag is maybe a bit more everyday. Both are acceptable.

Why is it neste dag and not neste dagen?

Norwegian usually uses indefinite form after neste (next) when talking about time expressions:

neste dag – the next day
neste uke – next week
neste år – next year
neste gang – next time

So:

for neste dag – for the next day
neste uke reiser vi til Norge. – next week we travel to Norway

Using neste dagen is possible in some dialects or in specific styles, but standard and most natural in neutral written Norwegian is neste dag (indefinite).

You can compare with English: we say next day, next week, not the next day every single time, especially in headings or neutral descriptions. The Norwegian pattern is “noun in indefinite form after neste” in these fixed time expressions.

Why are sekkene and termosene in the definite plural? Could I use the indefinite plural instead?

They are in definite plural because the items are specific and known in the situation:

sekkene – the backpacks (our backpacks from the trip)
termosene – the thermoses (our thermoses that we use)

Using indefinite plural would change the meaning:

Vi pakker ut sekker. – We unpack (some) backpacks.
Vi fyller termoser. – We fill (some) thermoses.

That sounds like you are dealing with random backpacks and thermoses in general, not your specific gear from the trip.

Norwegian is quite consistent: when you talk about specific, known objects (especially our gear, the things we just used), you normally put them in the definite form.

How would I say this in the past tense?

To put the sentence in simple past, you change the present tense verbs pakker and fyller:

pakker → pakket (past of å pakke)
fyller → fylte (past of å fylle)

So the past tense version is:

Etter turen pakket vi ut sekkene og fylte termosene for neste dag.
– After the trip we unpacked the backpacks and filled the thermoses for the next day.

Everything else (word order, noun forms) stays the same.