Bankkortet mitt utløper snart, så jeg må ringe banken.

My bank card expires soon, so I have to call the bank.

Breakdown of Bankkortet mitt utløper snart, så jeg må ringe banken.

• jeg: I
• ringe: to call
• snart: soon
• så: so
• måtte: have to
• mitt: my
• banken: the bank
• bankkortet: the bank card
• utløpe: to expire

Questions & Answers about Bankkortet mitt utløper snart, så jeg må ringe banken.

Why is it bankkortet (with -et) and not just bankkort?

Norwegian often uses the definite form when talking about a specific, known thing—here, your bank card.

• et bankkort = a bank card (indefinite)
• bankkortet = the bank card (definite)
  Since it’s immediately specified as mitt (my), the definite form is natural: bankkortet mitt = my bank card.

Why is the possessive mitt placed after the noun: bankkortet mitt?

In Norwegian, it’s very common (and often most natural) to place possessives after a definite noun:

• bankkortet mitt = my bank card
  You can also place it before, but then the noun is usually indefinite:
• mitt bankkort = my bank card
  Both are correct; the “noun + definite + possessive” pattern is extremely common in everyday speech.

Why is it mitt and not min?

Because bankkort is neuter gender (et-word): et bankkort.
Possessives agree with gender/number:

• min (masculine/feminine: en-words)
• mitt (neuter: et-words)
• mine (plural)

What does the verb utløper mean here, and how is it formed?

Utløper is present tense of å utløpe, meaning to expire / run out (e.g., cards, passports, deadlines).

• infinitive: å utløpe
• present: utløper
• past: utløp
  So Bankkortet mitt utløper snart = My bank card expires soon.

Is the present tense utløper used for the future?

Yes. Norwegian often uses the present tense for scheduled or near-future events, especially with a time adverb like snart (soon).
So utløper snart naturally means will expire soon.

What does snart do in the sentence, and where can it go?

Snart means soon and it can be fairly flexible in position, but it most commonly comes after the verb or at the end. For example:

• Bankkortet mitt utløper snart. (most typical)
• Snart utløper bankkortet mitt. (more emphatic: Soon, my card expires)

Why is there a comma before så?

Here så means so in the sense of therefore / as a result, connecting two independent clauses:

• Bankkortet mitt utløper snart, så jeg må ringe banken.
  The comma is standard and helps show the clause boundary.

What exactly does så mean here—can it also mean then?

Yes, så can mean both then and so, but here it clearly means so/therefore because it expresses a consequence:

• It expires soon, so I have to call the bank.
  If it meant then (sequence), the meaning would be more like and then I have to call the bank, which is not the main idea here.

Why is the word order så jeg må ringe banken and not så må jeg ringe banken?

After så meaning so/therefore, Norwegian commonly keeps normal main-clause word order: subject before verb:

• så jeg må ...
  You can also say så må jeg ... to put extra emphasis on må (have to), but så jeg må ... is very neutral and common.

Why is it må ringe—what does må express?

Må (present of å måtte) means must / have to / need to. It expresses obligation or necessity:

• jeg må ringe banken = I have to call the bank.

Why do we say ringe banken without til? I expected something like call to the bank.

In Norwegian, å ringe usually takes a direct object (no preposition):

• å ringe banken = to call the bank
  You can also say å ringe til banken, but it’s often slightly less direct / a bit more optional depending on dialect and style. The preposition-free version is very common.

Why is it banken (definite) instead of bank or en bank?

banken is the definite form of en bank and here it usually means the bank you use / your bank (a specific one understood from context).

• en bank = a bank (any bank)
• banken = the bank (a specific bank, typically your bank)

How would this sentence sound with jeg skal instead of jeg må?

It changes the meaning:

• jeg må ringe banken = I have to call the bank (necessity)
• jeg skal ringe banken = I’m going to / I will call the bank (plan/intent)
  Both can fit, but må emphasizes that the expiration forces you to do it.

Any pronunciation points a learner often struggles with in this sentence?

A few common ones:

• bankkortet: the rt in kort is often pronounced with a retroflex sound in many dialects (especially Eastern Norwegian), and the final -et is usually a short, unstressed -e(t) sound.
• utløper: ø is like the vowel in French peur or German Hölle (not exactly, but closer than English vowels).
• ringe: the ng is one sound (like sing), not n + g separately.