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Hvis kjøkkenvasken fortsatt lekker, må vi få fikset den før gjestene kommer.

Hvis kjøkkenvasken fortsatt lekker, må vi få fikset den før gjestene kommer.
If the kitchen sink is still leaking, we have to get it fixed before the guests arrive.
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Questions & Answers about Hvis kjøkkenvasken fortsatt lekker, må vi få fikset den før gjestene kommer.

Why does the sentence start with Hvis ..., and what does that do to the word order?

Hvis introduces a conditional subordinate clause (If ...). When that subordinate clause comes first, the main clause that follows must use V2 word order (the finite verb in 2nd position).
So after the comma you get må vi (verb + subject), not vi må:

  • Hvis X, må vi Y.
  • If you start with the main clause instead: Vi må ... hvis ...
Why is it kjøkkenvasken and not just kjøkkenvask?

Kjøkkenvasken is the definite form: the kitchen sink. Norwegian often uses the definite form where English might allow the + noun.

  • en kjøkkenvask = a kitchen sink
  • kjøkkenvasken = the kitchen sink
How do I know the gender and article of kjøkkenvask?
It’s a common-gender noun: en kjøkkenvask. Many Norwegian nouns are en-nouns (common gender), but you typically learn gender with the noun because it affects definiteness and adjectives.
What does fortsatt mean here, and where can it go in the sentence?

Fortsatt means still. In a subordinate clause it typically appears after the subject and before the verb phrase, as here:

  • Hvis kjøkkenvasken fortsatt lekker ...
    You may also hear Hvis kjøkkenvasken lekker fortsatt ..., but the given placement is very common and neutral.
Why is it lekker (present tense)? Shouldn’t it be something like “is leaking”?

Norwegian often uses the simple present where English uses a progressive is -ing.

  • Den lekker. = It’s leaking / It leaks.
    Context usually makes the “right” English interpretation obvious.
What’s the difference between lekker (from lekke) and lekker meaning “delicious/cool”?

They’re different words that just happen to look the same in writing:

  • å lekke → lekker = leaks (verb)
  • lekk (adj.) → lekker = delicious / attractive / cool (adjective)
    In your sentence it’s clearly the verb because it’s after the subject and acts as the main verb of the clause.
Why is it må vi and not vi må?

Because something other than the subject is in the first position of the main clause (the entire Hvis-clause). Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule, so the finite verb (må) comes second and the subject (vi) comes right after it:

  • Hvis ..., må vi ...
  • I dag må vi ...
  • but: Vi må ... when the subject is first.
What exactly does må express here—obligation, necessity, or probability?
Here må expresses necessity/obligation: we have to / we must. Context decides how strong it feels, but with repairs before guests arrive, it’s the practical “we need to.”
Why does Norwegian say få fikset instead of just fikse?

å få + past participle often means to get something done (usually by arranging it, not necessarily doing it yourself).

  • Vi må fikse den = We have to fix it (ourselves / directly).
  • Vi må få fikset den = We have to get it fixed (maybe by calling someone, making sure it happens).
What form is fikset—and why does it look like past tense?

Fikset is the past participle of å fikse (a weak verb). In many weak verbs, the participle looks like the simple past:

  • infinitive: fikse
  • past: fikset
  • past participle: fikset
    In få fikset, it functions like a participle/adjectival form meaning “fixed.”
Why is it den and not det, and what does den refer to?

Den refers back to kjøkkenvasken. Since kjøkkenvask is an en-noun (common gender), the pronoun is den:

  • en-noun → den
  • et-noun → det
    So den = it (the sink).
Why is it før gjestene kommer (present tense) when it’s about the future?

After time conjunctions like før (before), Norwegian typically uses the present tense for future meaning:

  • før gjestene kommer = before the guests arrive
    This is very normal in Norwegian subordinate clauses about future time.