Når strømmen kommer tilbake, setter vi i gang med å lade telefonen.

we

Breakdown of Når strømmen kommer tilbake, setter vi i gang med å lade telefonen.

• å: to
• når: when
• telefonen: the phone

Questions & Answers about Når strømmen kommer tilbake, setter vi i gang med å lade telefonen.

Why does the sentence start with Når, and what exactly does Når mean here?

Når introduces a time clause. Here it means when in the sense of “at the time that the power returns.” Norwegian also uses da for “when,” but da is typically used for a single, specific event in the past. Når is common for present/future situations and for things that can happen repeatedly.

---

Why is there a comma after tilbake?

Because the sentence begins with a subordinate clause (Når strømmen kommer tilbake). In Norwegian, it’s standard to separate that introductory subordinate clause from the main clause with a comma:

• Når X, Y.

---

Why is it strømmen and not just strøm?

Strømmen is the definite form: the power / the electricity (literally “the current”). In Norwegian, you often use the definite form when referring to a specific thing understood from context—here, the power in the house/building.

---

Does strømmen literally mean “current”? Is it idiomatic for “electricity/power”?