Kan du tørke opp sølet før gjestene kommer?

Can you wipe up the mess before the guests arrive?

Breakdown of Kan du tørke opp sølet før gjestene kommer?

• du: you
• kunne: can
• før: before
• komme: to arrive
• gjesten: the guest
• sølet: the mess
• tørke opp: to wipe up

Questions & Answers about Kan du tørke opp sølet før gjestene kommer?

Why does the sentence start with Kan du ...? Is that the normal way to ask someone to do something?

Yes. Kan du + infinitive is a very common, polite way to ask for help in Norwegian, similar to “Can you …?” or “Could you …?”

• Kan = present tense of å kunne (can/to be able to)
• du = you (singular)
• Then you get the verb phrase in the infinitive: tørke opp ...
  It’s often used as a request, not just a question about ability.

How is tørke opp different from just tørke?

Å tørke means to dry / to wipe, but it doesn’t necessarily imply “cleaning everything up.”
Å tørke opp is a phrasal verb meaning to wipe up / mop up (so it’s cleaned up), especially for spills.
So tørke opp sølet specifically means wiping up the mess/spill until it’s gone.

What exactly does sølet mean, and why does it have -et on the end?

Søl means spill / mess (often something spilled, like liquid or food).
sølet = the spill / the mess (definite form).
Norwegian often marks “the” by adding an ending rather than using a separate word:

• et søl (a spill)
• sølet (the spill)

Is søl always neuter, and how can I tell?

In this meaning, søl is typically neuter: et søl. That’s why the definite ending is -et → sølet.
You usually learn gender with the noun (like learning “a/an” with English nouns), or you check a dictionary.

Why is it før gjestene kommer and not something like før gjestene skal komme?

After time conjunctions like før (before), Norwegian commonly uses the present tense to talk about the future, similar to English “before the guests arrive.”
So før gjestene kommer = “before the guests come/arrive.”
You can use skal in some contexts, but it often adds a sense of plan/intention (“are going to”), and it’s not necessary here.

Why is kommer in the present tense when it refers to the future?

Norwegian frequently uses the present tense for scheduled/expected future events, especially in subordinate clauses introduced by words like før, når, etter at.
So kommer is present form, but the time word før makes it clear the action is future relative to the main request.

What is the word order in før gjestene kommer? Could it be før kommer gjestene?

In a subordinate clause (after før), Norwegian uses the normal subject–verb order:

• før + subject + verb → før gjestene kommer
  You would not normally invert to før kommer gjestene here. Inversion (verb before subject) is typical in main clauses when something other than the subject comes first, but subordinate clauses don’t follow that V2 inversion pattern.

Why is gjestene written as one word and not de gjester or de gjestene?

gjestene already means the guests (definite plural). Norwegian usually puts definiteness on the noun itself:

• gjester = guests (indefinite plural)
• gjestene = the guests (definite plural)

You can also say de gjestene in Norwegian, but that usually means those guests or adds emphasis/contrast (more demonstrative than just “the”).

Could I say Kan du tørke opp søl før gjestene kommer? (without -et)?

You can, but it changes the nuance.

• tørke opp sølet = wipe up the spill (a specific mess both speakers know about)
• tørke opp søl = wipe up spill/mess in general (more like “wipe up any mess/spillage”)
  In many real situations with an obvious spill, the definite sølet is the natural choice.

Is there a difference between tørke opp and vaske opp?

Yes.

• tørke opp = wipe up a spill/mess (often from the floor/table)
• vaske opp = wash up (usually dishes), i.e., do the washing-up
  So for a spill on the floor, tørke opp is the right verb; vaske opp would sound like you mean dishes.

How would I make the request more polite or more urgent?

More polite/softer:

• Kunne du tørke opp sølet før gjestene kommer? (“Could you…?”)
• Kan du være så snill å tørke opp sølet …? (“Could you please…?”)

More urgent/direct:

• Tørk opp sølet før gjestene kommer! (imperative: “Wipe up the spill…!”)
• Add urgency: fort (quickly), med en gang (right away)

Where does opp go if I add pronouns or extra information?

With tørke opp, opp stays with the verb phrase, but placement can vary a bit depending on what follows. Typical patterns:

• With a noun object: tørke opp sølet
• With a pronoun object, many speakers prefer: tørke det opp (“wipe it up”)
  You’ll also hear tørke opp det less often; tørke det opp is generally the safer, more natural choice.

Is the pronunciation of Kan du usually fully pronounced, or does it get reduced in speech?

In casual speech it often reduces. You may hear something closer to:

• Kan du → kandu (run together)
• du can be very short and unstressed
  The written form stays Kan du, but listening practice helps because everyday Norwegian often links words.

Could gjester mean both “guests” and “visitors,” and does that affect translation?

Yes. gjest can be “guest” (invited to your home, party, etc.) or “visitor” depending on context. In this sentence, før gjestene kommer most naturally suggests invited guests arriving, but the Norwegian itself doesn’t force one specific setting.