Hvis du ikke forstår vedtaket, kan du ringe saksbehandleren.

Because hvis introduces a subordinate clause, and in Norwegian subordinate clauses, ikke usually comes before the finite verb.

So you get:

• Hvis du ikke forstår vedtaket = subordinate clause

But in a main clause, the word order is different:

• Du forstår ikke vedtaket = main clause

This is a very common pattern in Norwegian:

• main clause: Jeg kommer ikke
• subordinate clause: ... hvis jeg ikke kommer

This is because Norwegian is a V2 language in main clauses. That means the finite verb normally comes in the second position.

Here, the whole clause Hvis du ikke forstår vedtaket comes first. After that, the main clause has to start with the finite verb:

• Hvis du ikke forstår vedtaket, kan du ringe saksbehandleren.

If you put the main clause first, then the normal order is:

• Du kan ringe saksbehandleren hvis du ikke forstår vedtaket.

Both are correct.

In Norwegian, the definite article is often added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word.

So:

• et vedtak = a decision
• vedtaket = the decision

and

• en saksbehandler = a case officer / caseworker
• saksbehandleren = the case officer / caseworker

The endings show definiteness:

• -et is a common definite ending for a singular neuter noun
• -en is a common definite ending for a singular common-gender noun

So Norwegian often expresses the as a suffix.

Vedtak usually means a formal decision, especially one made by a public authority, office, or organization.

So it is not just any everyday decision like I decided to go home. It often refers to something more official, such as a ruling, administrative decision, or formal determination in a case.

That is why it appears naturally in official letters and government communication.

A saksbehandler is the person who handles your case in an office, agency, or public authority.

A very literal breakdown is:

• sak = case, matter
• behandler = handler / person who processes something

In English, the best translation depends on context:

• caseworker
• case officer
• processing officer
• sometimes case handler

There is no perfect one-word match in English, so the exact translation can vary.

Because modern Norwegian normally uses du even in formal or official communication.

Unlike some languages, Norwegian does not usually switch to a special formal you in normal modern usage. Public authorities, companies, and institutions almost always address people with du.

So this sentence is completely normal and polite.

In Norwegian, å ringe noen is the standard way to say to call someone.

So:

• ringe saksbehandleren = call the case officer

English speakers often want to add a preposition because English says call someone but also has phrases like phone to in some other languages. In Norwegian, the direct object pattern is the normal one here.

You may sometimes hear ringe til, but ringe noen is the most straightforward and standard choice when you mean call someone.

Here kan means something like can / may / are able to / are welcome to, depending on how you translate it.

In this sentence, it is mainly giving an option or possibility:

• If you do not understand the decision, you can call the case officer.

It does not mainly mean physical ability. It is more like:

• this is possible
• this is allowed
• this is what you should do if needed

In official language, kan often sounds helpful and non-forceful.

Because the sentence begins with a subordinate clause:

• Hvis du ikke forstår vedtaket

When that clause comes before the main clause, Norwegian normally places a comma before the main clause:

• Hvis du ikke forstår vedtaket, kan du ringe saksbehandleren.

So the comma marks the boundary between the introductory if-clause and the main statement.