Log inSign up

Jeg legger skrujernet tilbake i skuffen når jeg er ferdig.

Jeg legger skrujernet tilbake i skuffen når jeg er ferdig.
I put the screwdriver back in the drawer when I am finished.

Breakdown of Jeg legger skrujernet tilbake i skuffen når jeg er ferdig.

jeg
I
være
to be
i
in
når
when
ferdig
finished
skuffen
the drawer
legge tilbake
to put back
skrujernet
the screwdriver
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 legger skrujernet tilbake i skuffen når jeg er ferdig.

Why is it Jeg legger and not Jeg legger å?

In Norwegian, you don’t use an infinitive marker like å after a subject the way English uses to in some constructions.

  • Jeg legger ... = I put / I am putting ... (present tense main clause)
  • å legge = to put / to place (infinitive, used after modal verbs or in infinitive phrases, e.g. Jeg vil legge skrujernet tilbake.)
What tense is legger, and does it mean I put or I am putting?

legger is present tense of å legge. Norwegian present tense often covers both English meanings:

  • I put (habitual/general)
  • I am putting (right now)
    Context decides. This sentence can be either a habit (“Whenever I’m done…”) or describing what you do in a situation.
Why does skrujern become skrujernet?

skrujernet is the definite form meaning the screwdriver.
Norwegian commonly attaches the definite article as a suffix:

  • et skrujern = a screwdriver (neuter, indefinite)
  • skrujernet = the screwdriver (neuter, definite)
Why is it i skuffen and not i skuff or i skuffa?

skuffen is the definite form meaning the drawer:

  • en skuff = a drawer (masculine; some dialects also allow feminine ei skuff)
  • skuffen = the drawer (common in Bokmål)

skuffa can occur if the speaker treats skuff as feminine (ei skuff → skuffa), but skuffen is very common/standard in Bokmål.

Why is tilbake placed after the object: Jeg legger skrujernet tilbake?

tilbake functions as an adverb meaning back. A very common pattern is: verb + object + adverb So Jeg legger skrujernet tilbake is natural: you first state what you put, then add back.

You can sometimes move adverbs for emphasis, but this placement is the neutral, common one.

Why is it i skuffen (in) rather than på skuffen (on)?

Norwegian prepositions work similarly to English here:

  • i skuffen = in the drawer (inside it)
  • på skuffen = on the drawer (on top of it)

Since a screwdriver is typically placed inside a drawer, i is the natural choice.

Does i mean movement (into) or location (in) here?

In Norwegian, i can be used for both location and movement, and the difference is often clear from the verb:

  • With a movement/placement verb like legge, i skuffen is understood as into the drawer.
    So the sentence is essentially “I put it back into the drawer.”
What does når mean here, and could I use da instead?

Here når means when(ever) and often suggests a general condition/habit:

  • … når jeg er ferdig = … when(ever) I’m finished

da is more typical for a specific time in the past (“when” in a narrative):

  • Da jeg var ferdig, la jeg … = When I was finished, I put …

So når fits well for a routine or general statement.

Why doesn’t the word order change after når? I’ve heard Norwegian has different word order in subordinate clauses.

It does use subordinate clause word order, but in this clause there’s no element that visibly shifts.
Subordinate clause pattern is typically subject + verb (and not V2 inversion):

  • når jeg er ferdig = when I am finished (subject jeg before verb er)

Where you really notice the difference is with adverbs like ikke:

  • Main clause: Jeg er ikke ferdig.
  • Subordinate clause: … når jeg ikke er ferdig. (the ikke comes before the verb in many cases)
What exactly does er ferdig mean? Is it literally “is finished”?

Yes. å være ferdig means to be finished / to be done. It’s a very common everyday expression:

  • Jeg er ferdig. = I’m done.
  • når jeg er ferdig = when I’m done / when I’ve finished

It doesn’t necessarily mean “I am finished (as a person)”; it’s idiomatic for completing a task.

How would pronunciation likely sound for key words like jeg and legger?

A common (Eastern Norwegian) pronunciation approximation:

  • jeg often sounds like yai (or sometimes closer to jæi)
  • legger: the gg is a hard g sound; roughly LEG-ger (two syllables)
  • skrujernet: roughly SKROO-yehr-net (the j is like English y)
    Pronunciation varies by dialect, but these approximations match many learners’ targets in standard spoken Norwegian.