Log inSign up

Jeg tror jeg kan ha glemt å trekke ut støpselet i går.

Jeg tror jeg kan ha glemt å trekke ut støpselet i går.
I think I may have forgotten to unplug the plug yesterday.

Breakdown of Jeg tror jeg kan ha glemt å trekke ut støpselet i går.

jeg
I
ha
to have
å
to
tro
to think
glemme
to forget
i går
yesterday
kunne
may
trekke ut
to unplug
støpselet
the plug
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Norwegian grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Norwegian now

Questions & Answers about Jeg tror jeg kan ha glemt å trekke ut støpselet i går.

Why does the sentence have Jeg twice?

Because it has two clauses:

  • Jeg tror = main clause (I think)
  • jeg kan ha glemt å trekke ut støpselet i går = the content clause (what you think)

Norwegian repeats the subject in the second clause, just like English: I think I…

Is kan here about ability (can) or possibility (might)?

It’s about possibility/uncertainty, not ability.
kan ha glemt is best understood as might have forgotten / may have forgotten.

If you wanted ability, you’d normally be talking about something like Jeg kan trekke ut støpselet = I am able to unplug it (or I can unplug it).

What does kan ha glemt mean grammatically?

It’s a modal verb + perfect infinitive:

  • kan = present tense modal (may/might/could)
  • ha glemt = perfect infinitive (have forgotten)

Together: kan ha glemt = might have forgotten (in the past).

Why is it ha glemt and not har glemt?

Because kan is the finite (conjugated) verb in the clause, so the other verb phrase stays in the infinitive form:

  • kan + ha + past participle (perfect infinitive)

har glemt would make har the finite verb instead, which would be a different structure:

  • Jeg tror jeg har glemt … = I think I have forgotten … (more direct/less “might”)
What role does å play in å trekke ut?

å is the infinitive marker (like English to):

  • å trekke ut = to pull out / to unplug

It marks the infinitive after glemme (to forget), since you “forget to do something.”

Is trekke ut a fixed expression? Could I use another verb?

Yes, trekke ut works like a common “phrasal verb” meaning pull out (and in this context, unplug).
Other natural options include:

  • å dra ut støpselet = to pull the plug out
  • å koble fra / å plugge ut can exist, but trekke ut støpselet and dra ut støpselet are very common and idiomatic.
Why is it støpselet and not et støpsel?

støpselet is the definite form: the plug.
Norwegian often uses the definite form when the thing is specific/known from context (like the plug of a certain device you were using).

Indefinite would be:

  • et støpsel = a plug (more general, less specific)
What is the word order doing here—should there be at after tror?

You can add at, but it’s often omitted:

  • Jeg tror (at) jeg kan ha glemt …

Both are common. Using at can feel slightly more explicit/formal, but omission is very normal in everyday Norwegian.

Does i går belong with glemt or with trekke ut?

In meaning, i går most naturally modifies the “unplugging” action (what you forgot to do):

  • You think you might have forgotten to unplug it yesterday.

But since the forgetting is about that action, attaching i går at the end works well and is common.

Can I move i går earlier in the sentence?

Yes, several placements are possible, with slight shifts in focus:

  • … støpselet i går. (neutral/common)
  • … i går glemt å trekke ut støpselet. (more emphasis on “yesterday” earlier)
  • I går tror jeg jeg kan ha glemt … (strong focus: “Yesterday, I think…”—often sounds like your thinking happened yesterday, so context matters)

The end position is usually the safest, most natural choice.

How is glemt formed, and what is it?

glemt is the past participle of å glemme (to forget):

  • infinitive: glemme
  • past tense: glemte
  • past participle: glemt

It’s used with ha to form perfect meanings:

  • har glemt = have forgotten
  • kan ha glemt = might have forgotten
What’s the pronunciation challenge in støpselet?

Two common tricky parts for English speakers:

  • ø: a rounded vowel not in English (roughly like the vowel in French peu, or German ö)
  • the cluster støps-: keep it tight: støp-se-let (three syllables)

A practical tip: aim for støp (with ø) + selet (like seh-let), keeping the p audible.