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Jeg setter oppvaskmiddelet i skuffen når jeg er ferdig.

Jeg setter oppvaskmiddelet i skuffen når jeg er ferdig.
I put the dish soap in the drawer when I am finished.

Breakdown of Jeg setter oppvaskmiddelet i skuffen når jeg er ferdig.

jeg
I
være
to be
i
in
når
when
ferdig
finished
skuffen
the drawer
sette
to put
oppvaskmiddelet
the dish soap
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Questions & Answers about Jeg setter oppvaskmiddelet i skuffen når jeg er ferdig.

Why does oppvaskmiddelet end in -et? What does that tell me?

Oppvaskmiddel is a neuter noun in Norwegian. The ending -et marks the definite singular form, so oppvaskmiddelet means the dish soap / the washing-up liquid (the specific one you mean in context).

Why is it i skuffen (definite) and not i en skuff (indefinite)?

I skuffen is definite: in the drawer, typically implying a known/expected drawer (e.g., the usual drawer where it belongs).
If you said i en skuff, it would sound more like in a drawer (some drawer, not specified).

What’s the difference between sette and legge here? Why is it Jeg setter … i skuffen?

Norwegian often distinguishes by orientation:

  • sette = put/place something upright (or “set” it down as an item that stands)
  • legge = put/place something lying down/flat

A dish soap bottle is typically placed standing, so sette is very natural.

What does setter oppvaskmiddelet mean as a verb phrase? Is setter opp a separable verb here?

Here it’s setter (put/places) + direct object oppvaskmiddelet.
Even though Norwegian has phrasal/separable verbs like sette opp (put up / set up), in this sentence opp is not acting as the particle for sette opp. The meaning is simply I put/place the dish soap in the drawer.

(If it were the particle meaning, you’d typically have something like Jeg setter opp et skilt = I put up a sign.)

Why doesn’t the sentence use inn i skuffen? Would that be more “into the drawer”?

I skuffen can cover both into and in when the action clearly involves moving the item to that place.
Inn i skuffen is more explicit about movement into (and can feel a bit more vivid/emphatic). Both can be correct, but i skuffen is very common and natural here.

Why is it når jeg er ferdig and not når jeg ferdig er? What’s the rule?

Because når introduces a subordinate clause, and Norwegian subordinate clauses usually have:

  • Subject + verb order (no V2) So you get: når jeg er ferdig (when I am finished), not når jeg er jeg ferdig or other rearrangements.
What part of speech is ferdig here, and why doesn’t it change form?

Ferdig is an adjective meaning finished / done / ready. In jeg er ferdig, it’s a predicative adjective (after er). In that use, it normally stays in the basic form ferdig and doesn’t take extra endings.

Could I also say Når jeg er ferdig, setter jeg oppvaskmiddelet i skuffen? Does the word order change?

Yes, that’s very common. If the når-clause comes first, it occupies the first position, and then Norwegian main-clause V2 word order kicks in:

  • Når jeg er ferdig, setter jeg oppvaskmiddelet i skuffen. Notice the verb setter comes immediately after the initial clause.
Why is it når and not da?

Typically:

  • når = when(ever) / when in general, habitual or repeated situations
  • da = when (then), often for a specific past event in a narrative

This sentence sounds like a routine/habit, so når fits well.

Is the present tense jeg setter describing something happening right now or a habit?

It can be either, depending on context:

  • Right now: I’m putting the dish soap in the drawer when I’m finished (with it).
  • Habit/general routine: I put the dish soap in the drawer when I’m done.

Norwegian present tense often covers both present action and habitual meaning.

Why is it oppvaskmiddelet and not something like såpen?

Oppvaskmiddel is the more precise word for dishwashing liquid/dish soap (the product). Såpe is more general (soap) and can mean many kinds of soap. So oppvaskmiddelet is clearer if you mean the liquid used for washing dishes.

What does skuff mean exactly, and what’s the plural?

Skuff means drawer.
Common forms:

  • Indefinite singular: en skuff (a drawer)
  • Definite singular: skuffen (the drawer)
  • Indefinite plural: skuffer (drawers)
  • Definite plural: skuffene (the drawers)