Jeg er litt usikker, men jeg kan forklare det i morgen.

I am a little unsure, but I can explain it tomorrow.

Breakdown of Jeg er litt usikker, men jeg kan forklare det i morgen.

• jeg: I
• være: to be
• det: it
• men: but
• kunne: can
• i morgen: tomorrow
• forklare: to explain
• litt: some/a little
• usikker: unsure

Questions & Answers about Jeg er litt usikker, men jeg kan forklare det i morgen.

Why is jeg repeated twice in the sentence?

Because Norwegian usually requires an explicit subject in each clause.
You have two main clauses joined by men (but), so each clause gets its own subject:

• Jeg er litt usikker (clause 1)
• (men) jeg kan forklare det i morgen (clause 2)
  In English you might drop the second I sometimes, but in Norwegian it’s normal to include it.

What does litt do here, and where does it normally go?

Litt means a little / somewhat and softens the statement: a bit unsure rather than fully unsure.
It usually comes right before the adjective or adverb it modifies:

• litt usikker = a bit unsure
  You could also say jeg er usikker (stronger) or jeg er litt usikker på … if you want to specify what you’re unsure about.

Why is it usikker and not something like usikkert?

Usikker is an adjective that agrees with the noun/pronoun it describes. Here it describes jeg (a person). For a person, the basic form usikker is used.
Usikkert (neuter) would be used if the subject were a neuter noun like det:

• Det er usikkert. = It’s uncertain.

Is the comma before men required?

In Norwegian, it’s standard to use a comma before coordinating conjunctions like men when they join two independent clauses (both could stand as sentences):

• Jeg er litt usikker, men jeg kan forklare det i morgen.
  If the second part were not a full clause, the comma might be omitted, but here the comma is the normal choice.

What is the word order after men—why is it men jeg kan… and not men kan jeg…?

After men, you usually keep normal main-clause word order: subject + verb (still following the V2 rule, because the subject is in first position).
So:

• men jeg kan forklare … (Subject first, verb second)
  You’d get kan jeg … if something else were placed first in the clause, like a time expression:
• … men i morgen kan jeg forklare det.

Why does kan come before forklare?

Because kan is a modal verb (can / be able to) and modals are followed by an infinitive:

• kan + infinitive → kan forklare
  Norwegian infinitives typically don’t use to (unlike English).

Do I need å before forklare?

Not after a modal verb. With modals (like kan, vil, må, skal, bør), Norwegian usually uses a bare infinitive (no å):

• jeg kan forklare (correct)
  You do use å in many other cases, e.g. after å prøve:
• Jeg prøver å forklare.

What does det refer to, and where do object pronouns go?

Det means it/that and refers to something already known from context (the thing you’ll explain).
Object pronouns like det typically come after the verb phrase:

• jeg kan forklare det
  If you add more elements, det often stays close to the verb:
• Jeg kan forklare det i morgen.

Why is i morgen at the end—can it go elsewhere?

Yes, time expressions are flexible. End position is very common and neutral:

• Jeg kan forklare det i morgen.
  You can also front it for emphasis; then the verb must still be second (V2):
• I morgen kan jeg forklare det.

Is i morgen written as two words? What about imorgen?

Standard Bokmål spelling is i morgen (two words).
Imorgen is often seen informally, but it’s not the recommended standard form in formal writing.

Could I omit litt or replace it with something else?

Yes. The tone changes depending on the choice:

• Jeg er usikker = more direct/strong
• Jeg er litt usikker = softer, more tentative
  Common alternatives include:
• Jeg er ikke helt sikker = I’m not entirely sure
• Jeg er litt i tvil = I’m a bit doubtful / unsure

Does forklare mean “explain” in the same way as English, and do I need a preposition?

Forklare corresponds closely to explain and can take a direct object without a preposition:

• forklare det = explain it
  You can also specify the audience with for:
• Jeg kan forklare det for deg i morgen. = I can explain it to you tomorrow.