Hun liker å gå en runde på fabrikkgulvet før hun starter samlebåndet.

She likes to walk one round on the factory floor before she starts the assembly line.

Breakdown of Hun liker å gå en runde på fabrikkgulvet før hun starter samlebåndet.

• hun: she
• en: a
• gå: to walk
• å: to
• like: to like
• på: on
• før: before
• starte: to start
• fabrikkgulvet: the factory floor
• samlebåndet: the assembly line
• runden: the round

Questions & Answers about Hun liker å gå en runde på fabrikkgulvet før hun starter samlebåndet.

Why is it liker å gå and not just liker gå?

In Norwegian, when one verb likes another verb, you normally put å (the infinitive marker) before the second verb.

So the pattern is: liker + å + infinitive

• Hun liker å gå. = She likes to walk.
• Jeg liker å lese. = I like to read.

Saying liker gå without å is ungrammatical in standard Norwegian.

What is the nuance of å gå en runde? Is it like to go for a walk?

Å gå en runde literally means to walk one round / one lap. It suggests walking around an area once, often to check or look at things.

• å gå en runde på fabrikkgulvet = to make a round on the factory floor (e.g., to inspect).
• å gå en tur = to go for a walk (more general; for exercise, fresh air, etc.).

So en runde here emphasizes going around the factory floor in a sort of circuit, usually with a purpose.

Why is it på fabrikkgulvet and not i fabrikkgulvet or på fabrikken?

• på fabrikkgulvet = on the factory floor (literally on the floor surface, in that working area).
• på fabrikken = at the factory (more generally at that workplace, not specifically on the floor area).
• i fabrikkgulvet would mean inside the factory floor (material) and is wrong in this context.

Norwegian uses på with many surfaces and areas:

• på skolen (at school)
• på kontoret (at the office)
• på kjøkkenet (in the kitchen / on the kitchen floor/area, depending on context).

Here, på fabrikkgulvet focuses on the working area where the machines and workers are.

How is fabrikkgulvet formed, and why does it end with -et?

Fabrikkgulvet is a compound noun + definite ending:

• fabrikk = factory
• gulv = floor
• fabrikkgulv = factory floor
• fabrikkgulvet = the factory floor

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually a suffix on the noun:

• gulv → gulvet (the floor)
• fabrikkgulv → fabrikkgulvet (the factory floor).

So -et here is the neuter definite ending (the).

Why do we say før hun starter samlebåndet and not før å starte samlebåndet?

In this sentence, før is a subordinating conjunction meaning before, and it must be followed by a full clause (subject + verb):

• før hun starter samlebåndet = before she starts the conveyor belt.

Før å + infinitive is generally not used in Norwegian. If you want an infinitive construction with før, you normally rephrase, but the natural structure is exactly like here: før + subject + verb.

Why is hun repeated in før hun starter? Can you leave it out?

You cannot drop subject pronouns in Norwegian the way you sometimes can in other languages. Every clause needs an explicit subject:

• Hun liker … før hun starter …

You cannot say:

• ✗ Hun liker … før starter samlebåndet.

So hun is necessary as the subject of the subordinate clause introduced by før.

Is there a special word order in før hun starter samlebåndet because it’s a subordinate clause?

Yes. In subordinate clauses introduced by før, fordi, at, etc., the normal order is:

[Subordinating conjunction] + [subject] + [verb] + …

So:

• før hun starter samlebåndet
  
  • før = conjunction
  • hun = subject
  • starter = verb

You wouldn’t say før starter hun samlebåndet in this kind of clause; that inversion (verb before subject) is used in main clauses after certain elements, not in typical subordinate clauses.

Why is it starter and not begynner for starts the conveyor belt?

Both å starte and å begynne can mean to start, but they’re used slightly differently:

• å starte noe (with a direct object) is common for machines, processes, vehicles:

  • starte bilen (start the car)
  • starte maskinen (start the machine)
  • starte samlebåndet (start the conveyor belt).

• å begynne (med) noe is more about activities, events, or actions:

  • begynne å jobbe (begin to work)
  • begynne møtet (start the meeting).

Here we’re clearly starting a machine/process, so starte samlebåndet is the natural choice.

What exactly is samlebåndet, and why does it end with -et?

Samlebåndet is another compound noun with a definite ending:

• samle = to gather/assemble
• bånd = belt/strip
• samlebånd = conveyor belt (literally assembly belt)
• samlebåndet = the conveyor belt

Again, -et is the neuter definite ending. So samlebåndet means the conveyor belt.

Why are both verbs, liker and starter, in the present tense?

Norwegian uses the present tense for:

1. Actions happening now, and
2. Habits or things that are generally true.

In this sentence, it describes her habitual routine at work:

• Hun liker å gå en runde … før hun starter samlebåndet.
  = She (generally) likes to take a round on the factory floor before she (normally) starts the conveyor belt.

So the present tense is used just like English simple present for habits.

Could you also say Hun liker å ta en runde instead of gå en runde? Would it change the meaning?

Yes, Hun liker å ta en runde på fabrikkgulvet would also be natural.

• gå en runde emphasizes the action of walking a round.
• ta en runde is a bit more general: take a round / do a round, and can be used even if it involves more than just walking (looking at things, talking to people, checking machines).

In this context, both are very close in meaning; gå en runde highlights the physical walking slightly more.

Is there any danger of confusing å and og in this sentence?

Yes, this is a common issue for learners. In writing:

• å = infinitive marker, used before verbs in the infinitive:
  
  • å gå, å lese, å starte
• og = and, the conjunction:
  
  • Hun liker å gå og snakke med kollegaer.

In the sentence you have:

• liker å gå … (correct: å, not og).

Writing liker og gå is a very common learner mistake but is incorrect in standard Norwegian.