Etter kurset fyller vi ut et anonymt spørreskjema om undervisningen.

After the course we fill out an anonymous questionnaire about the teaching.

Breakdown of Etter kurset fyller vi ut et anonymt spørreskjema om undervisningen.

• vi: we
• et: a
• om: about
• etter: after
• fylle ut: to fill out
• kurset: the course
• anonym: anonymous
• spørreskjemaet: the questionnaire
• undervisningen: the teaching

Questions & Answers about Etter kurset fyller vi ut et anonymt spørreskjema om undervisningen.

Why is the word order “Etter kurset fyller vi ut …” and not “Etter kurset vi fyller ut …”?

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be the second element in the sentence.

• Etter kurset = first element (a time phrase)
• fyller = second element (finite verb)
• vi = third element (subject)

So:

• ✅ Etter kurset fyller vi ut et anonymt spørreskjema …
• ❌ Etter kurset vi fyller ut et anonymt spørreskjema … (wrong word order)

If you don’t move a time phrase to the front, you get the more English‑like order:

• ✅ Vi fyller ut et anonymt spørreskjema etter kurset.
  (We fill out an anonymous questionnaire after the course.)

Both sentences mean the same; the difference is just what is placed in first position for emphasis or flow.

Why is it “etter kurset” and not just “etter kurs”?

Kurs is a neuter noun:

• et kurs = a course
• kurset = the course

In this sentence you’re talking about a specific course (the one you just took), so Norwegian uses the definite form:

• Etter kurset … = After the course …

If you said etter kurs (without the article/definite form), it would sound like “after course” in English—unnatural, or like you mean courses in general, not one particular course.

The verb is in the present tense (fyller). Why does it talk about something that happens in the future (after the course)?

Norwegian often uses the present tense to talk about scheduled or typical future actions, especially when there’s a time expression that makes the time clear.

• Etter kurset fyller vi ut et anonymt spørreskjema.
  Literally: After the course we fill out…
  Meaning: After the course we will fill out… / we usually fill out…

You could also say:

• Etter kurset skal vi fylle ut et anonymt spørreskjema.
  (After the course we are going to fill out an anonymous questionnaire.)

Both are correct; the original present tense sounds quite natural for something that is a habitual rule or part of a routine.

What exactly does “fylle ut” mean, and is “ut” a separate word that can move around?

Å fylle ut is a phrasal verb (verb + particle) that means “to fill out / to fill in (a form)”.

• å fylle ut et skjema = to fill out a form

ut is a little particle that belongs with fylle. Typical order:

• Vi fyller ut et skjema.
• Jeg skal fylle ut dette skjemaet.

With pronouns, the particle often stays attached to the verb and the pronoun comes in between:

• Jeg fyller det ut. = I fill it out.

You normally can’t drop ut, and you don’t move it far away from the verb. Treat “fylle ut” as one unit meaning fill out.

Why is it “et anonymt spørreskjema” and not “en anonym spørreskjema”?

Two things are happening here: grammatical gender and adjective agreement.

1. Gender of “skjema”

   • skjema is a neuter noun in Norwegian.
   • Indefinite singular neuter uses et:
     
     • et skjema = a form
     • et spørreskjema = a questionnaire

2. Adjective agreement (“anonymt”)
   The base form of the adjective is anonym.
   In neuter singular indefinite, adjectives usually take -t:

   • en anonym mann (a[n] anonymous man, masculine)
   • ei / en anonym jente (an anonymous girl, feminine)
   • et anonymt spørreskjema (an anonymous questionnaire, neuter)

So “et anonymt spørreskjema” is correct because spørreskjema is neuter.

Why is “anonymt” with -t, but “anonym” without -t in other contexts?

Adjectives in Norwegian change form depending on the noun:

• Base form (used with masculine/feminine singular indefinite):
  
  • en anonym lærer (an anonymous teacher)
  • en anonym student
• Neuter singular indefinite: add -t
  
  • et anonymt spørreskjema (a[n] anonymous questionnaire)
  • et anonymt brev (an anonymous letter)
• Plural (all genders): add -e
  
  • anonyme lærere (anonymous teachers)
  • anonyme spørreskjemaer (anonymous questionnaires)
• Definite singular with “den / det / de”: also -e
  
  • det anonyme spørreskjemaet (the anonymous questionnaire)

So “anonymt” specifically signals neuter, singular, indefinite.

Why is “spørreskjema” written as one word and not “spørre skjema”?

Norwegian normally writes compound nouns as one word.

• spørre (to ask) + skjema (form)
  → spørreskjema (a questionnaire)

Writing this as two words (spørre skjema) would look wrong to a native speaker and could be confusing.

Other examples of compounds:

• studentkort = student card
• undervisningsplan = teaching plan / syllabus
• arbeidsbok = workbook

So: treat spørreskjema as a single lexical item meaning questionnaire.

What does “spørreskjema” mean exactly? Is it different from “skjema” alone?

Yes, there’s a nuance:

• skjema = form in general (any form you fill in)
  
  • et skjema for søknaden = a form for the application
• spørreskjema = a form consisting mainly of questions, i.e. a questionnaire
  
  • et spørreskjema om undervisningen = a questionnaire about the teaching

In many contexts you could say just skjema, but spørreskjema makes clear that it’s a set of questions to answer, not just any form.

Why is it “om undervisningen” and not “om undervisning”?

Two points: the preposition “om” and the definite form of “undervisning”.

1. Preposition “om”
   om very often means “about / regarding”:

   • en bok om Norge = a book about Norway
   • et foredrag om klimaendringer = a lecture about climate change
   • et spørreskjema om undervisningen = a questionnaire about the teaching

2. Definite form “undervisningen”

   • undervisning = teaching / instruction (general concept)
   • undervisningen = the teaching (a specific instance, e.g. on your course)

Here you mean the teaching in this course, so Norwegian uses the definite:

• om undervisningen = about the (this) teaching

What is the difference between “etter” and “etterpå”? Could I say “Etterpå kurset…”?

You can’t say “Etterpå kurset”; etter and etterpå work differently.

• etter = a preposition meaning after and must be followed by a noun phrase:

  • etter kurset = after the course
  • etter middag = after dinner
  • etter jobben = after work

• etterpå = an adverb meaning afterwards / later on and stands alone:

  • Kurset er ferdig. Etterpå fyller vi ut et anonymt spørreskjema.
    The course is finished. Afterwards we fill out an anonymous questionnaire.

So in your sentence, only “Etter kurset …” is correct.

How would I make the sentence negative: “After the course we don’t fill out an anonymous questionnaire about the teaching”?

In a main clause, ikke (not) usually comes after the subject and the verb.

Starting with the time phrase, it would be:

• Etter kurset fyller vi ikke ut et anonymt spørreskjema om undervisningen.

Without fronting “etter kurset”, you could say:

• Vi fyller ikke ut et anonymt spørreskjema om undervisningen etter kurset.

In both cases, notice the order:
(time) – verb – subject – ikke – rest.

Can I move “etter kurset” to the end, like in English: “We fill out … after the course”?

Yes. Both of these are correct:

1. Etter kurset fyller vi ut et anonymt spørreskjema om undervisningen.
2. Vi fyller ut et anonymt spørreskjema om undervisningen etter kurset.

They mean the same. The difference is emphasis and flow:

• Sentence 1 puts a bit more emphasis on the time (After the course, we …).
• Sentence 2 is closer to common English word order and may feel more neutral.

The V2 rule still applies in both: in (2), Vi is first element, fyller is second.

Could I say “et anonymt skjema om undervisningen” instead of “et anonymt spørreskjema om undervisningen”?

Yes, that’s grammatically fine, but it’s less specific.

• et skjema = a form (could be any kind of form)
• et spørreskjema = specifically a questionnaire, i.e. a form that mainly contains questions to answer

So:

• et anonymt skjema om undervisningen
  = an anonymous form about the teaching (could still be understood as a questionnaire, from context)

• et anonymt spørreskjema om undervisningen
  = explicitly an anonymous questionnaire about the teaching

In contexts like course evaluations, “spørreskjema” is the more natural and precise word.