Questions & Answers about Viktigst for meg nå er at du sover.
Why does the sentence start with Viktigst and not with something like Det viktigste?
Norwegian often allows a short fronted phrase with a superlative adjective at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis:
- Viktigst for meg nå er at du sover.
- Best for meg er om vi venter.
- Viktigst av alt er at du er trygg.
The full, more “complete” version of the sentence would be:
- Det viktigste for meg nå er at du sover.
Here, det viktigste is a noun phrase: the most important thing.
In the shorter version, Viktigst for meg nå functions as a kind of headline or focus phrase in front position, and the det is just left out because the meaning is clear from context.
What is viktigst grammatically? Is it an adjective, an adverb, or something else?
Viktigst is the superlative form of the adjective viktig (important).
Norwegian superlatives have two main forms:
Short form: viktigst
- Used predicatively (after er, blir etc), especially in these fronted-focus structures.
- Example: Dette er viktigst. (This is most important.)
Long/attributive form: viktigste
- Used directly before a noun.
- Example: Det viktigste målet er at du sover. (The most important goal is that you sleep.)
In Viktigst for meg nå er at du sover, viktigst is a short-form superlative used predicatively.
Why is there no subject before ? Can a Norwegian sentence start directly with an adjective like that?