Temporal Conjunctions in Norwegian

Overview

Temporal Conjunctions (Tidskonjunksjoner) is a B1-level grammar concept in Norwegian covering the words used to express time relationships between clauses. The key conjunctions are da (when -- single past event), når (when -- repeated or future), mens (while), før (before), etter at (after), siden (since), and til (until).

The most important distinction for learners is between da and når, both translated as "when" in English. Norwegian makes a clear grammatical distinction: da is used for a single event in the past, while når is used for repeated events (past, present, or future) and future single events. Mastering this distinction is one of the hallmarks of B1-level Norwegian.

Temporal conjunctions introduce subordinate clauses, which means they trigger subordinate clause word order -- sentence adverbials like ikke precede the finite verb. This is a critical structural point that applies to all temporal conjunctions.

How It Works

Da vs. når

Conjunction	Use	Time reference
da	Single event in the past	Past only
når	Repeated events (any time)	Past, present, future
når	Single event in the future	Future only

Norwegian	English	Type
Da jeg kom hjem, ringte telefonen.	When I came home, the phone rang.	Single past event
Når jeg er trøtt, legger jeg meg.	When(ever) I'm tired, I go to bed.	Repeated/habitual
Når du kommer, ringer jeg.	When you arrive, I'll call.	Future single event

Overview of all temporal conjunctions

Conjunction	Meaning	Example
da	when (single past)	Da han var ung, bodde han i Bergen.
når	when (repeated/future)	Når det regner, tar jeg paraply.
mens	while	Mens vi ventet, leste vi.
før	before	Før du går, bør du spise.
etter at	after	Etter at vi spiste, gikk vi hjem.
siden	since (time)	Siden hun flyttet, har vi ikke snakket.
til	until	Vi venter til bussen kommer.
innen	by (the time)	Innen du kommer, er vi ferdige.

Word order

All temporal conjunctions introduce subordinate clauses with subordinate word order:

Main clause order	Subordinate clause order
Jeg har ikke sett ham.	...da jeg ikke hadde sett ham.
Hun kom alltid tidlig.	...når hun alltid kom tidlig.

When the temporal clause comes first, the main clause still follows V2 order (verb second):

• Da jeg kom hjem, ringte telefonen. (temporal clause first, then V2 in main)

Mens for simultaneous actions

Mens (while) connects two actions happening at the same time:

Norwegian	English
Mens vi ventet, begynte det å regne.	While we waited, it started to rain.
Jeg leser mens hun lager mat.	I read while she cooks.

Før and etter at for sequence

Norwegian	English
Før du går, bør du spise.	Before you leave, you should eat.
Etter at vi hadde spist, gikk vi.	After we had eaten, we left.

Note: Etter at is two words (conjunction + complementizer). In casual speech, etter alone is sometimes used.

Examples in Context

Norwegian	English	Note
Da jeg kom hjem, ringte telefonen.	When I came home, the phone rang.	Single past with da
Når jeg er trøtt, legger jeg meg.	When I'm tired, I go to bed.	Habitual with når
Før du går, bør du spise.	Before you leave, you should eat.	Sequence with før
Mens vi ventet, begynte det å regne.	While we waited, it started to rain.	Simultaneous with mens
Etter at vi hadde spist, gikk vi ut.	After we had eaten, we went out.	Sequence with etter at
Siden hun reiste, har jeg vært alene.	Since she left, I've been alone.	Starting point with siden
Vi blir her til det slutter å regne.	We'll stay here until it stops raining.	Endpoint with til
Da han var barn, bodde han i Tromsø.	When he was a child, he lived in Tromsø.	Past state with da
Når sola skinner, går vi på tur.	When(ever) the sun shines, we go for a walk.	Habitual with når
Jeg ringte henne før jeg dro.	I called her before I left.	Sequence with før
Mens barna sov, vasket vi huset.	While the children slept, we cleaned the house.	Simultaneous actions
Etter at filmen var ferdig, diskuterte vi den.	After the film was over, we discussed it.	Sequence with etter at

Common Mistakes

Using når for a single past event

• Wrong: Når jeg kom hjem, ringte telefonen.
• Right: Da jeg kom hjem, ringte telefonen.
• Why: For a one-time event in the past, Norwegian requires da. Når is only for repeated or future events. This is one of the most tested distinctions at the B1 level.

Using da for repeated past events

• Wrong: Da jeg var barn, spiste jeg alltid frokost kl. 7.
• Right: Når jeg var barn, spiste jeg alltid frokost kl. 7.
• Why: Alltid signals a repeated action, so når is needed even though the time frame is the past. However, note that Da jeg var barn (when I was a child) for a general past state is acceptable -- the key is whether the clause describes a repeated action or a single period.

Forgetting subordinate word order

• Wrong: Da jeg kom ikke hjem...
• Right: Da jeg ikke kom hjem...
• Why: All temporal conjunctions introduce subordinate clauses, requiring ikke and other adverbials to precede the finite verb.

Using etter alone instead of etter at

• Wrong (formal): Etter vi spiste, gikk vi.
• Right: Etter at vi spiste, gikk vi.
• Why: The full conjunction is etter at. While etter alone is heard in informal speech, etter at is the standard in written Bokmål.

Usage Notes

The da/når distinction is strictly observed in both spoken and written Bokmål and is considered a fundamental grammar rule. Using the wrong one is immediately noticeable to native speakers and is a common error tested in language proficiency exams.

Mens can also mean "but" or "whereas" in contrastive use: Hun er lege, mens broren er advokat. (She's a doctor, while/whereas her brother is a lawyer.) Context makes the difference clear.

Siden as a temporal conjunction means "since" (time), not "since" (reason). For the causal meaning, use ettersom or fordi.

Practice Tips

• Sort sentences by da vs. når. Collect Norwegian sentences with "when" and classify them. Ask: Is this a single past event (da) or a repeated/future event (når)? This trains the core distinction.
• Write a narrative with temporal conjunctions. Tell a story using as many temporal conjunctions as possible: Da jeg våknet... Mens jeg spiste frokost... Før jeg gikk... Etter at jeg hadde kommet...
• Practice V2 after fronted temporal clauses. When the temporal clause comes first, the main clause must have V2 order. Write pairs: Da hun kom, gikk han vs. Han gikk da hun kom.

Related Concepts

• Subordinate Clauses - Parent concept