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Først når gjelden er borte, feirer vi med pasta og saus uten nøtter.

Først når gjelden er borte, feirer vi med pasta og saus uten nøtter.
Only when the debt is gone do we celebrate with pasta and sauce without nuts.
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Questions & Answers about Først når gjelden er borte, feirer vi med pasta og saus uten nøtter.

Why is there a comma after borte?

Because Først når gjelden er borte is an introductory subordinate clause. In Norwegian, you normally put a comma after a fronted subordinate clause before the main clause:
Først når gjelden er borte, feirer vi ...

Why is the word order feirer vi and not vi feirer?

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule (the finite verb is in position 2). Since the sentence starts with the subordinate clause Først når ..., that whole clause counts as position 1. So the verb comes next:
1) Først når gjelden er borte, 2) feirer, 3) vi.
If you start directly with the subject, you’d get: Vi feirer med pasta og saus ...

What is the role of først here?

Først means only / not until in this structure. The pattern først når X, Y expresses that Y happens only after X becomes true. It’s a common Norwegian way to emphasize the condition/timing.

Is når here “when” or “whenever”? Could it be da?

Here når means when in a conditional/time sense (“once/when the debt is gone”). Da is typically used for a specific time in the past (“when” = “at that time”), or for something already established in the context. For a general condition like this, når is the normal choice.

Why is it gjelden and not gjeld?

Gjelden is the definite form: the debt. In Norwegian, definiteness is often expressed by a suffix:

  • gjeld = debt (general/indefinite)
  • gjelden = the debt (specific/known)
    This sentence treats it as a specific debt everyone knows about.
How does er borte work—does it literally mean “is away”?

Yes, literally borte is “away/gone,” but er borte is a very common idiom meaning is gone / has disappeared / is no longer there. With gjelden, it means the debt has been cleared/paid off.

Could you also say er betalt or er nedbetalt instead of er borte?

Yes, with slightly different nuance:

  • gjelden er borte = the debt is gone (natural, idiomatic, focus on result)
  • gjelden er betalt = the debt is paid (straightforward, more literal)
  • gjelden er nedbetalt = the debt is paid off (often implies installments)
Why is it feirer vi med pasta og saus—what does med mean here?

Feire med ... means celebrate with ... (using/including something as part of the celebration). So med pasta og saus indicates what you’ll have/do as part of celebrating—often implying the meal.

Is feire used like English “celebrate” (transitively), or is it different?

It can be both:

  • Transitive: Vi feirer seieren = We celebrate the victory.
  • With med: Vi feirer med kake = We celebrate with cake.
    Your sentence uses the “with” pattern.
Why is pasta not plural or marked for indefiniteness/definiteness?

Pasta is often treated like a mass/uncountable noun in Norwegian (similar to English). You can say pasta without an article when speaking generally about the food. You could also say med en pastarett (with a pasta dish) if you want it more countable/specific.

Why is it uten nøtter (plural) and not uten nøtt?

After uten (“without”), Norwegian commonly uses the bare plural to mean “without any (of that thing)” in general:

  • uten nøtter = without nuts (no nuts at all)
    You can see uten nøtt in some contexts, but uten nøtter is the most natural for ingredients/food restrictions.
How would pronunciation/stress typically work in this sentence?

A common, natural rhythm is:
FØRST når GJELden er BORte, FEIrer vi med PAs-ta og SAUS u-ten NØT-ter.

  • gjelden is usually pronounced with a clear gj sound (like a “y”/soft “j” for many learners, depending on dialect).
  • feirer has two syllables: FEI-rer (the ei is a diphthong).