Jeg rakk å drikke kaffe før bussen kom.

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Breakdown of Jeg rakk å drikke kaffe før bussen kom.

• drikke: to drink
• komme: to come
• å: to

Questions & Answers about Jeg rakk å drikke kaffe før bussen kom.

What exactly does rakk mean here? Is it just had time?

In this sentence, rakk (past tense of å rekke) means to manage (in time), to have enough time before a deadline or event.

So:

• Jeg rakk å drikke kaffe ≈ I managed to drink coffee / I had (enough) time to drink coffee (before it was too late).

It usually implies there was some time pressure or a deadline (here: before the bus came), and you just fit the action in before that point. It’s a bit stronger and more “deadline‑focused” than simply had time.

How is the verb å rekke conjugated, and what are its other common meanings?