Breakdown of Vaktmesteren sier at hun kan komme innom i morgen og se på døren.
Questions & Answers about Vaktmesteren sier at hun kan komme innom i morgen og se på døren.
Vaktmesteren is the definite form: vaktmester + -en = the caretaker/janitor/superintendent (a specific, known one).
If you said en vaktmester, that would mean a caretaker (not previously identified).
Vaktmester is the person responsible for maintenance in a building or housing complex—often translated as caretaker, superintendent, building maintenance person, sometimes janitor depending on context. It’s a broad role: fixing things, checking doors/locks, coordinating repairs, etc.
After verbs like å si (to say), Norwegian commonly uses at to introduce the clause, like English that.
You can sometimes omit at in informal speech, but:
- Vaktmesteren sier at hun kan komme … is very standard and clear.
- Omitting at is more colloquial and can make longer sentences harder to read.
Because after at, you’re in a subordinate clause, and Norwegian uses subject + verb order there:
- Main clause: Hun kan komme i morgen.
- Subordinate clause: … at hun kan komme i morgen.
So the finite verb kan stays after the subject hun in the subordinate clause.
Grammatically, hun means she, but it could refer to any previously mentioned female person. In this sentence, it strongly suggests the caretaker is a woman (or at least that the speaker is referring to the caretaker as hun).
Norwegian vaktmester is not grammatically feminine or masculine—it’s a job title—and the pronoun tells you the person’s gender.
Because kan is a modal verb, and modal verbs are followed by a bare infinitive (infinitive without å):
- hun kan komme
- (hun kan) se
If there were no modal, you’d typically need å:
- Hun planlegger å komme.
- Hun vil gjerne å se (actually with vil you still don’t use å—vil is also modal: vil se)
innom is an adverb meaning something like by / in (briefly) / stop by.
So komme innom = drop by, usually implying a short visit, often on the way somewhere else or as a quick stop.
It often stays together, but it can be separated in real usage, especially with adverbs:
- Hun kan komme innom i morgen. (very common)
- Hun kan komme i morgen innom. (possible, but less natural for many speakers)
In general, komme innom functions like a single idea (drop by), so keeping it together is the safe default.
Yes, Norwegian is flexible with time adverbials. Common options:
- … kan komme innom i morgen og se på døren. (natural, neutral)
- … kan i morgen komme innom … (possible, slightly more formal/emphatic)
- I morgen kan hun komme innom … (fronted for emphasis: tomorrow specifically)
Where you place i morgen can subtly change what you emphasize.
se på means look at / check / examine. It suggests directing attention to something, often to assess it:
- se døren = see the door (perceive it)
- se på døren = look at/check the door (inspect it)
For repairs/maintenance, se på is the natural choice.
døren is definite: the door, meaning a specific door the listener already knows about (for example, your door or that door that has a problem).
en dør would sound like some door, any door and would be odd if you’re discussing a known issue.
Both are correct in Bokmål:
- døren (more formal/neutral)
- døra (more colloquial, common in speech)
Which one you choose depends on style, region, and the level of formality.