Hun skreller ikke grønnsakene før hun har lest oppskriften én gang til.

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Questions & Answers about Hun skreller ikke grønnsakene før hun har lest oppskriften én gang til.

Why is ikke placed after the verb (skreller) and not at the end of the sentence?

In main clauses (V2 word order), Norwegian typically places the finite verb in the 2nd position and ikke after the verb:

  • Hun skreller ikke grønnsakene.
    Putting ikke later often sounds unnatural or can change the focus.

Why does the sentence repeat hun in the second part?

Because after før you get a subordinate clause, and that clause needs its own subject. Norwegian normally repeats the subject:

  • … før hun har lest …
    You can’t usually omit it the way English sometimes can.

What does før do to word order in the clause that follows?

Før introduces a subordinate clause, and subordinate clauses usually have the “subordinate” word order, where negation and many adverbs come before the main verb (but after auxiliaries):

  • … før hun har lest oppskriften …
    If you had negation inside that clause: før hun ikke har lest … (though that specific meaning is odd here).

Why is it har lest (present perfect) instead of a simple present like leser?

Because the sentence describes an action that must be completed before another action happens. Har lest emphasizes completion:

  • før hun har lest oppskriften = before she has read the recipe (i.e., finished reading it)

Is the tense sequence “present + present perfect” normal in Norwegian?

Yes. Norwegian commonly uses:

  • main clause in present: Hun skreller ikke …
  • subordinate “before” clause with present perfect: før hun har lest …
    This neatly encodes “don’t do X until Y is done.”

Why are grønnsakene and oppskriften definite (with -ene / -en)?

Norwegian often uses the definite form when referring to specific, known items in context:

  • grønnsakene = the vegetables (the ones involved here)
  • oppskriften = the recipe (the relevant one)
    If it were non-specific, you might see indefinite forms like grønnsaker / en oppskrift, but the meaning would change.

What does the ending -ene in grønnsakene mean?

-ene is the definite plural ending for many masculine/feminine nouns:

  • en grønnsak (a vegetable)
  • grønnsaker (vegetables)
  • grønnsakene (the vegetables)

Why is it én gang til and not just en gang til?

Both exist, but én (with the accent) strongly highlights the number oneone more time (exactly once more).
Without the accent, en can look like the article en (a), so én helps clarity and emphasis:

  • én gang til = one more time

What exactly does … gang til mean, and can it be moved?

X gang(er) til means “X more time(s)” / “again (X times).”
It often comes at the end, but it can sometimes be moved for focus:

  • … har lest oppskriften én gang til. (most neutral)

Is skreller present tense, and does it imply “right now” or “in general”?

Skreller is present tense. Depending on context, it can mean:

  • a current action: “is peeling”
  • a habitual/general action: “peels”
    Here it’s typically understood as “she doesn’t peel (them) before …” (a rule/sequence).

Could you say Hun skreller grønnsakene ikke …?

That word order is generally not idiomatic in Norwegian. In a neutral main clause, ikke usually comes right after the finite verb:

  • correct/neutral: Hun skreller ikke grønnsakene … Other placements tend to be marked or wrong in ordinary prose.

Does før ever mean “ago” the way English before sometimes does?

Yes, Norwegian før can also be used in time expressions meaning “ago,” but that’s a different construction (often with for or set phrases).
In this sentence, før clearly means “before/until” introducing a subordinate clause:

  • … før hun har lest …