Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Kan du snakke med barnevakten i kveld?

Norwegian often forms yes/no questions by putting the verb first. Here the modal verb kan (can) is moved to the front: Kan du …? = Can you …?
In a normal statement, the order would be Du kan snakke med barnevakten i kveld.

What exactly is kan doing here?

Kan is a modal verb meaning can / be able to / could. In questions like this, it can sound either:

literal ability: Are you able to talk…?
a request: Can you (please) talk…?
Context decides which one is intended.

Why is it snakke and not snakker?

After modal verbs like kan, Norwegian uses the infinitive (base form) of the main verb:
kan + infinitive → kan snakke (can talk).
Snakker would be a present-tense form and would not normally follow kan.

Is snakke the same as prate?

They overlap a lot. snakke is the more neutral, general verb for to speak/talk. prate often feels a bit more casual, like to chat.
So Kan du prate med barnevakten…? is possible, but slightly more informal.

What does med mean here, and when do I use it?

Med means with. With verbs like snakke, snakke med + person means talk to/with someone.
Norwegian often uses med where English might say to: snakke med henne = talk to/with her.

Why is it barnevakten and not en barnevakt?

Barnevakten is the definite form, meaning the babysitter (a specific one you both know).

en barnevakt = a babysitter (any babysitter)
barnevakten = the babysitter (the one in question)

How is the definite form barnevakten built?

barnevakt is a common-gender noun (usually en barnevakt). In Bokmål, the definite ending is typically -en:
barnevakt + -en → barnevakten.
It’s similar to adding the in English, but Norwegian often marks the with a suffix.

Is barnevakt a compound word, and how should I interpret it?

Yes. It’s a compound: barn (child) + vakt (guard/watch). Literally something like child-watch, i.e. a babysitter.

Why is i kveld at the end, and can it go elsewhere?

Putting i kveld (tonight) at the end is very natural. You can move it for emphasis, but then Norwegian word order rules apply (V2 in main clauses). For example:

Statement: I kveld kan du snakke med barnevakten. (Tonight, you can talk to the babysitter.)
In the question, the given order Kan du … i kveld? is the most straightforward.

Is i kveld one word or two? I’ve seen ikveld sometimes.

Standard Bokmål writes it as two words: i kveld. You may see ikveld in informal writing, but i kveld is the safe, correct choice.

Does du sound informal? What if I want to be more polite?

Du is the normal you in modern Norwegian, even with strangers, and it’s not considered rude. A more formal De exists but is rare and can sound very stiff or old-fashioned in many situations.

How would you pronounce the sentence (roughly)?

A rough guide (varies by dialect):

Kan: like kahn (short, crisp)
du: often like doo, but many dialects reduce it in fast speech
snakke: SNAK-keh (two syllables)
barnevakten: BAR-neh-vak-ten
i kveld: ee kvel(l) (the ll sound depends heavily on dialect)