Hun spør om feriepengene kommer på samme lønnskonto som den vanlige lønnen.

Questions & Answers about Hun spør om feriepengene kommer på samme lønnskonto som den vanlige lønnen.

Why is om used after spør here?

Because spør om introduces an indirect yes/no question.

  • Hun spør om ... = She asks whether / if ...
  • Here, the rest of the clause is something that can be answered with yes or no: whether the holiday pay goes into the same salary account.

This om is different from the om meaning about in some contexts, although English often uses ask if/whether where Norwegian uses spør om.

Compare:

  • Hun spør om feriepengene kommer ... = She asks whether the holiday pay is coming ...
  • Hun spør om feriepenger. = She asks about holiday pay.

So the same word can cover both ideas, and context tells you which one it is.

Why is the word order feriepengene kommer and not kommer feriepengene?

Because this is a subordinate clause after om.

In Norwegian:

  • Main clause yes/no question: Kommer feriepengene på samme lønnskonto?
  • Subordinate clause after om: ... om feriepengene kommer på samme lønnskonto

So in subordinate clauses, Norwegian usually uses normal statement word order:

  • subject + verb

That is why you get:

  • feriepengene kommer not
  • kommer feriepengene
Why is feriepengene plural, and what exactly does it mean?

Feriepenger is the standard Norwegian word for holiday pay / vacation pay.

Grammatically, it looks plural because it contains penger = money, which is a plural form. Norwegian often treats money-related expressions this way.

So:

  • feriepenger = holiday pay / vacation pay
  • feriepengene = the holiday pay

Even though English usually says pay as an uncountable noun, Norwegian uses this plural-style form naturally.

Why does it say feriepengene with -ne at the end?

The ending -ne marks the definite plural.

So:

  • feriepenger = holiday pay / holiday-pay money
  • feriepengene = the holiday pay

The sentence is talking about a specific payment the person expects to receive, so the definite form is natural.

Why is lønnskonto written as one word?

Because Norwegian usually forms compound nouns by writing them as one word.

So:

  • lønn = salary/pay
  • konto = account
  • lønnskonto = salary account / payroll account

This is very common in Norwegian. English often writes these as two words, but Norwegian normally combines them:

  • feriepenger
  • lønnskonto
  • sommerferie
  • bankkonto

For English speakers, this is one of the most important spelling habits to learn in Norwegian.

Why is it på samme lønnskonto? Why and not another preposition?

With money being paid into an account, Norwegian often uses på konto.

So:

  • pengene kommer på konto = the money goes into the account
  • på samme lønnskonto = into the same salary account

This is just the natural Norwegian preposition here. English might suggest into, but Norwegian commonly uses in this kind of expression.

Why is it samme and not something like sammee, sammt, or another ending?

Samme is one of those words that usually does not change form.

So you say:

  • samme konto
  • samme lønnskonto
  • samme hus
  • samme biler

It stays samme regardless of gender or number in normal use.

Why does the sentence use som den vanlige lønnen?

This is the comparison structure:

  • samme ... som ... = the same ... as ...

So:

  • på samme lønnskonto som den vanlige lønnen means
  • into the same salary account as the regular salary

This is a very common pattern in Norwegian:

  • samme bok som jeg leste
  • samme sted som før
  • samme konto som lønnen
Why is it den vanlige lønnen and not just vanlig lønn?

Because Norwegian is using a definite noun phrase: the regular salary.

In Norwegian, when an adjective comes before a definite noun, you usually get double definiteness:

  • lønn = salary
  • lønnen = the salary
  • vanlig lønn = regular salary
  • den vanlige lønnen = the regular salary

So both parts show definiteness:

  • den
  • noun ending -en

This is normal Norwegian grammar.

Why is it vanlige and not vanlig?

Because after den/det/de in a definite phrase, the adjective usually takes the -e form.

So:

  • en vanlig lønn = a regular salary
  • den vanlige lønnen = the regular salary

This -e ending is very common in definite phrases:

  • den store bilen
  • det nye huset
  • de gamle bøkene
What is the difference between lønn and lønnen?
  • lønn = salary/pay in a general or indefinite sense
  • lønnen = the salary / the pay, something specific

Examples:

  • Hun får høy lønn. = She gets high pay.
  • Lønnen kommer i morgen. = The salary comes tomorrow.

In your sentence, it is a specific salary payment, so lønnen makes sense.

Why is kommer used here? Does it literally mean comes?

Yes, literally kommer means comes, but in Norwegian it is often used more broadly for things like payments, messages, mail, and dates.

So:

  • Lønnen kommer på fredag. = The salary comes on Friday.
  • Pengene kommer på konto i morgen. = The money will arrive in the account tomorrow.

In natural English, you might translate it as:

  • is paid
  • arrives
  • goes into the account

So the literal verb is comes, but the natural meaning is about money arriving or being deposited.

Can om here be translated as both if and whether?

Yes. In this sentence, English can often use either one:

  • She asks if the holiday pay goes into the same salary account ...
  • She asks whether the holiday pay goes into the same salary account ...

In careful English, whether may sound slightly more formal or precise, but both are possible in many contexts. Norwegian simply uses om here.

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
What's the best way to learn Norwegian grammar?
Norwegian grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Norwegian

Master Norwegian — from Hun spør om feriepengene kommer på samme lønnskonto som den vanlige lønnen to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • AI tutor to answer your grammar questions