Hvis du fortsatt har vondt i halsen, bør du drikke vann.

Hvis means if and introduces a condition.

So Hvis du fortsatt har vondt i halsen means If you still have a sore throat.

In everyday Norwegian, hvis is the most common word for if in conditional sentences like this one.

In Norwegian, adverbs like fortsatt usually come after the subject in a subordinate clause.

So the normal order is:

• Hvis
  • subject + adverb + verb
• Hvis du fortsatt har ...

This is different from English, where adverb placement is often more flexible.

Fortsatt means still or continuing to.

So:

• du fortsatt har vondt i halsen = you still have pain in your throat / you still have a sore throat

A close synonym is fremdeles, and in many cases they can replace each other.

Norwegian often uses ha vondt to express pain.

• ha vondt = to be in pain / to hurt
• ha vondt i halsen = literally have pain in the throat

This is a very common Norwegian pattern:

• ha vondt i hodet = have a headache / have pain in the head
• ha vondt i ryggen = have back pain
• ha vondt i magen = have a stomachache

So even though English uses different expressions, this is natural Norwegian.

Vondt is the form used in the fixed expression ha vondt.

The adjective is based on vond, but in this expression Norwegian uses vondt as part of an idiomatic phrase meaning to hurt or to be painful.

So you should learn ha vondt as a chunk:

• Jeg har vondt. = I’m in pain.
• Han har vondt i armen. = His arm hurts / He has pain in his arm.

Norwegian often uses the definite form for body parts in expressions like this.

So:

• halsen = the throat

Even though English usually says in the throat only in some contexts, Norwegian commonly says:

• i halsen
• i hodet
• i ryggen

This is just the normal idiomatic pattern with body parts.

This happens because the sentence begins with a subordinate clause: Hvis du fortsatt har vondt i halsen.

In Norwegian main clauses, the finite verb normally comes in second position. When the if-clause comes first, it takes the first slot, so the main clause has inversion:

• Hvis du fortsatt har vondt i halsen, bør du drikke vann.

Compare:

• Du bør drikke vann hvis du fortsatt har vondt i halsen.
• Hvis du fortsatt har vondt i halsen, bør du drikke vann.

Both are correct, but when the hvis-clause comes first, bør comes before du.

Bør means should or ought to. It gives advice or a recommendation, not a strict obligation.

So:

• bør = should
• må = must / have to

Compare:

• Du bør drikke vann. = You should drink water.
• Du må drikke vann. = You must drink water.

In your sentence, bør sounds like advice.

Vann is usually an uncountable noun, like water in English.

So Norwegian normally says:

• drikke vann = drink water

You would not usually say drikke et vann, just like English normally does not say drink a water unless you mean a serving, such as a bottle or glass in a special context.

No, the subject needs to be stated in both clauses here.

So Norwegian says:

• Hvis du fortsatt har vondt i halsen, bør du drikke vann.

Just like in English, each clause needs its own subject. You cannot naturally omit the second du.

Sometimes om can mean if, but hvis is the safest and most common choice for a clear condition like this.

So in this sentence, hvis is the best choice for most learners.

Using om is possible in some contexts, but it can also mean whether, so hvis avoids confusion.

Yes, it sounds natural and normal.

The sentence is clear, polite, and neutral. A native speaker would easily say or understand it.

You might also hear slightly different versions, such as:

• Hvis du fortsatt har vondt i halsen, burde du drikke vann.
• Du bør drikke vann hvis du fortsatt har vondt i halsen.

But your original sentence is completely natural.