Hun sier at hun kan fikse lekkasjen selv, men jeg vil likevel ringe vaktmesteren.

She says she can fix the leak herself, but I still want to call the caretaker.

Breakdown of Hun sier at hun kan fikse lekkasjen selv, men jeg vil likevel ringe vaktmesteren.

• jeg: I
• hun: she
• men: but
• kunne: can
• at: that
• ringe: to call
• si: to say
• likevel: still
• ville: want
• vaktmesteren: the caretaker
• lekkasjen: the leak
• fikse: to fix
• selv: herself

Questions & Answers about Hun sier at hun kan fikse lekkasjen selv, men jeg vil likevel ringe vaktmesteren.

Why is at used here, and can it be omitted?

At is the subordinator meaning that: Hun sier at ... = She says that ....
In everyday Norwegian, at is often optional after verbs of saying/thinking:

• Hun sier hun kan fikse lekkasjen selv (very common)
  Keeping at can sound a bit more explicit/formal or can improve clarity in longer sentences.

Why does the word order change after at?

After at, you get a subordinate clause, and Norwegian typically uses subordinate word order: the sentence adverb (like ikke, aldri, bare) comes before the verb.
This sentence doesn’t contain such an adverb, so it looks like normal order: hun kan fikse ....
Compare:

• Main clause: Hun kan ikke fikse lekkasjen.
• Subordinate clause: Hun sier at hun ikke kan fikse lekkasjen.

Why is hun repeated twice?

Because there are two clauses, and each clause needs its own subject:

• Main clause: Hun sier ...
• Subordinate clause: ... at hun kan ...
  English also repeats it: She says that she can ... (even if English sometimes replaces it with that she can, you still need she).

What does kan do in hun kan fikse?

Kan is the modal verb can (ability/possibility/permission depending on context). Here it’s ability/possibility: she’s able to fix it.
Grammar note: after a modal verb (kan, vil, må, skal, bør), the next verb is in the infinitive without å:

• kan fikse (not kan å fikse)

Why is there no å before fikse?

Because å is usually dropped after modal verbs.
You would use å when the infinitive is not governed by a modal:

• Hun prøver å fikse lekkasjen. (tries to fix)
• Hun kan fikse lekkasjen. (can fix)

What does fikse mean, and is it informal?

Fikse means fix / sort out / manage and is common in spoken and informal written Norwegian. It’s a borrowed, very everyday verb.
More formal/neutral options could be reparere (repair) or ordne (arrange/sort out), depending on context.

Why is it lekkasjen and not en lekkasje?

Lekkasje is a countable noun (a leak).

• en lekkasje = a leak (indefinite)
• lekkasjen = the leak (definite)
  The -n ending marks definiteness for masculine nouns (many masculine nouns take -en in the definite singular: lekkasje → lekkasjen).

What does selv mean here, and where can it be placed?

Selv means herself / on her own (emphasis that she will do it without help).
Common placements:

• Hun kan fikse lekkasjen selv. (most common)
• Hun kan selv fikse lekkasjen. (more emphasis on she specifically)
• Hun selv kan fikse lekkasjen. (strong contrast: she can, not someone else)

What does likevel mean, and where does it go in the sentence?

Likevel means nevertheless / anyway / still.
In a main clause it often appears after the finite verb (V2 pattern):

• ... men jeg vil likevel ringe vaktmesteren.
  It can also appear earlier for emphasis, but that may affect style or require different structure:
• ... men likevel vil jeg ringe vaktmesteren. (more formal/marked emphasis)

Why is it jeg vil ringe—does vil mean “want” or “will”?

Vil can mean both want to and will (future/intention). In many contexts it expresses intention/decision: I’ll / I’m going to.
So here jeg vil likevel ringe is naturally understood as I’ll call anyway / I still want to call depending on context. If you want to be unambiguously “want,” you can often use har lyst til å:

• Jeg har likevel lyst til å ringe vaktmesteren.

Why is vaktmesteren definite?

Vaktmesteren = the caretaker/janitor/maintenance person. The definite form suggests a specific, known person (e.g., the building’s designated caretaker).
Indefinite would be en vaktmester = a caretaker (not necessarily the one you normally contact).

What exactly is a vaktmester in Norwegian contexts?

A vaktmester is typically the person responsible for building maintenance—repairs, keys, common-area upkeep—often in an apartment building, school, or workplace. Depending on context, English equivalents include caretaker, janitor, building superintendent, or maintenance person.

Why is there a comma before men?

Norwegian typically uses a comma before men when it joins two independent clauses (each with its own subject and verb):

• Hun sier ... , men jeg vil ...
  That comma is standard and expected in Norwegian punctuation.