Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jeg lagrer referansen som et vedlegg i søknaden. - I save the reference as an attachment in the application.

saving a file on a computer:
- Jeg lagrer dokumentet. = I save the document.
storing information in a system or database:
- Systemet lagrer dataene automatisk. = The system saves the data automatically.

You would not usually use lagre for:

saving money (that’s usually spare or sette inn).
keeping/holding on to something physically (often ha, oppbevare).

In your sentence, Jeg lagrer referansen som et vedlegg i søknaden, you’re treating the reference like digital information you store in a specific way (as an attachment in the application).

How is the verb å lagre conjugated?

Å lagre is a regular verb:

Infinitive: å lagre = to save/store
Present: lagrer = save(s) / am saving
- Jeg lagrer filen. = I am saving the file.
Past: lagret = saved
- Jeg lagret filen i går. = I saved the file yesterday.
Present perfect: har lagret = have saved
- Jeg har lagret filen. = I have saved the file.
Imperative: lagre! = save!

In your sentence, lagrer is the present tense:
Jeg lagrer referansen … = I save / I am saving the reference …

Why is it referansen and not referanse?

Referansen is the definite form: the reference.
Referanse on its own is the indefinite form: a reference.

en referanse = a reference
referansen = the reference
flere referanser = several references
referansene = the references

In Jeg lagrer referansen som et vedlegg i søknaden, you are talking about a specific, known reference (for example, a particular referee’s letter or a particular citation the reader already knows about), so Norwegian uses the definite form: referansen.

When would I say en referanse instead of referansen?

Use en referanse when the reference is not specific or not previously known:

Jeg trenger en referanse.
= I need a reference (any reference, not a specific one).

Use referansen when both speaker and listener know which reference you mean, or it has just been introduced:

Jeg har en referanse. Jeg lagrer referansen som et vedlegg i søknaden.
= I have a reference. I save the reference as an attachment in the application.

So the choice is the same logic as a/an vs the in English.

What exactly does referanse mean here?

Referanse can mean several things in Norwegian, depending on context:

A job or character reference (a person or letter that recommends you):
- Kan du oppgi en referanse? = Can you provide a reference?
A bibliographic reference / citation (in academic writing):
- Husk å ta med alle referansene i litteraturlisten.
  = Remember to include all the references in the reference list.
More generally, a point of reference.

In the sentence Jeg lagrer referansen som et vedlegg i søknaden, the most natural interpretations are:

a reference letter you include with a job or school application, or
some reference information that you attach.

What does som mean in som et vedlegg, and is it the same som as in relative clauses?

Yes, it is the same word som, but here it has a different function.

Som can mean:

who/that/which (relative pronoun):
- Mannen som bor der. = The man who lives there.
as (showing a role, function, or capacity):
- Jeg jobber som lærer. = I work as a teacher.
- Bruk dette som et eksempel. = Use this as an example.

In Jeg lagrer referansen som et vedlegg i søknaden, som is used in sense 2:
som et vedlegg = as an attachment (the role or form the reference has).

What is the function of som et vedlegg in this sentence?

Som et vedlegg describes in what form or in what capacity you are storing the reference.

Grammatically, it’s often called a predicative complement / object complement: it gives extra information about the object referansen:

Jeg lagrer referansen
= I save the reference.
Jeg lagrer referansen som et vedlegg
= I save the reference as an attachment.

It tells us that the reference isn’t just somewhere; it specifically takes the form of an attachment.

Why is it et vedlegg and not en vedlegg?

Because vedlegg is a neuter noun in Norwegian.

Indefinite singular: et vedlegg = an attachment
Definite singular: vedlegget = the attachment
Indefinite plural: vedlegg = attachments
Definite plural: vedleggene = the attachments

For neuter nouns, the indefinite article is et, not en:

en søknad (common gender) – a(n) application
et vedlegg (neuter) – an attachment

Could I say som vedlegg without et?

Yes, you can also say:

Jeg lagrer referansen som vedlegg i søknaden.

The difference is subtle:

som et vedlegg = as an attachment (one specific attachment)
som vedlegg = as attachment (more about the type/role than counting one item)

Both are grammatical. Som et vedlegg sounds slightly more concrete and is very natural in this context.

Why is it i søknaden and not something like til søknaden or med søknaden?

The preposition i literally means in.
i søknaden = in the application.

This suggests the attachment is inside / part of the application (for example, uploaded within an online application form).

Other options and nuances:

til søknaden = to the application
- Often used when you are adding something to an application:
  - Jeg legger ved referanser til søknaden.
    = I attach references to the application.
med søknaden = with the application
- Focuses on sending it together with the application:
  - Jeg sender referansen med søknaden.
    = I send the reference with the application.

Your original i søknaden emphasizes that the attachment sits inside the application itself.

Why is it søknaden (definite) instead of søknad or en søknad?

Søknaden is the definite form: the application.

Forms of søknad:

en søknad = an application
søknaden = the application
søknader = applications
søknadene = the applications

In i søknaden, you are referring to a specific, known application (for example, the one you’re currently working on). That’s why the definite form (søknaden) is used, just like English uses the here: in the application.

What kind of “application” is søknad? Is it like a phone app?

No. Søknad is not a software app.

Søknad means an application in the sense of:

job application
application for admission (to a school, university, program)
application for a permit, visa, funding, etc.

Examples:

en jobbsøknad = a job application
en søknad om opptak = an application for admission

A software or phone app in Norwegian is:

(en) app (informal, everyday)
(en) applikasjon (more technical or formal)

Could I say Jeg legger ved referansen i søknaden instead of Jeg lagrer referansen som et vedlegg i søknaden?

You can say:

Jeg legger ved referansen i søknaden.
= I attach the reference in the application.

Legge ved means to attach / to enclose (e.g., attach a document to an email or application).

Differences in nuance:

lagrer … som et vedlegg focuses on the saving/storing action and the form (as an attachment).
legger ved … focuses more directly on the act of attaching something to your application.

Both are natural; which one you choose depends on what you want to emphasise.

Can I drop jeg and just say Lagrer referansen som et vedlegg i søknaden?

In normal Norwegian, you don’t usually drop the subject pronoun jeg.

So the standard, neutral sentence is:

Jeg lagrer referansen som et vedlegg i søknaden.

You might see a subject omitted:

in notes / bullet points / UI buttons, e.g. a button labelled Lagre filen (“Save the file”), or
in very telegraphic styles (like headlines or to-do lists).

But in a normal full sentence, include jeg.

How is this sentence pronounced, especially the tricky sounds like ø?

Approximate pronunciation (in a rough English-friendly way):

Jeg ≈ “yai” (like “y-eye”)
lagrer ≈ “LAH-grer”
referansen ≈ “reh-fe-RAHN-sen”
som ≈ “som” (like “some” but with a clearer o)
et ≈ “ett”
vedlegg ≈ “VEH-dlegg” (the gg is a hard g)
i ≈ “ee”
søknaden ≈ “SØØ-kna-den”
- ø is like the vowel in British “bird” or French “deux”, but with rounded lips.

So all together, roughly: “Yai LAH-grer reh-fe-RAHN-sen som ett VEH-dlegg ee SØØ-kna-den.”

(That’s just an approximation; actual Norwegian pronunciation will be smoother and slightly different by dialect.)