Types of Subordinate Clauses in Norwegian

Overview

Types of Subordinate Clauses (Leddsetningstyper) is a B2-level grammar concept in Norwegian that systematically categorizes the different kinds of dependent clauses: nominal clauses (that-clauses), adverbial clauses (reason, time, condition, concession), and relative clauses. Understanding these types and their structural differences is essential for advanced reading, writing, and grammatical analysis.

At the B2 level, you are expected not only to use subordinate clauses correctly but to recognize and distinguish between them. Each type has its own set of conjunctions, its own semantic function within the sentence, and specific word order implications. This analytical awareness helps you construct complex sentences with precision and understand nuanced Norwegian texts.

This concept builds on your B1 knowledge of relative clauses, temporal conjunctions, and subordinate clause word order. It provides a unified framework for understanding how all subordinate clauses function within Norwegian sentence structure.

How It Works

Three main types

Type	Function	Introduced by	Example
Nominal (substantivsetning)	Subject or object	at, om, question words	Det er viktig at du forstår.
Adverbial (adverbialsetning)	Modifies verb/clause	fordi, mens, selv om, hvis, da/når	Hun sang mens hun gikk.
Relative (relativsetning)	Modifies noun	som, der, hvor, hvis	Mannen som bor her.

Nominal clauses (at-setninger)

Nominal clauses function as the subject or object of the main verb. They are introduced by at (that) or om (if/whether):

Function	Norwegian	English
Subject	At du kommer er viktig.	That you're coming is important.
Subject (with det)	Det er viktig at du forstår.	It's important that you understand.
Object	Jeg vet at han er her.	I know that he is here.
Object (yes/no)	Jeg lurer på om hun kommer.	I wonder if she's coming.
Object (wh-)	Jeg vet ikke hva som skjer.	I don't know what's happening.

At can often be omitted after common verbs of saying/thinking:

• Jeg tror (at) det stemmer. -- I think (that) it's correct.

Adverbial clauses

Adverbial clauses modify the verb or the entire main clause, expressing reason, time, condition, concession, purpose, or result:

Subtype	Conjunctions	Example
Reason	fordi, ettersom, siden	Jeg ble hjemme fordi det regnet.
Time	da, når, mens, før, etter at	Da han kom, gikk hun.
Condition	hvis, dersom, med mindre	Hvis du vil, kan du bli.
Concession	selv om, til tross for at	Selv om han er ung, er han klok.
Purpose	for å, slik at, for at	Jeg øver for å bli bedre.
Result	så...at, slik at	Det var så kaldt at vannet frøs.

Relative clauses

Relative clauses modify a noun in the main clause:

Type	Example	English
Restrictive	Boka som jeg leste var god.	The book that I read was good.
Non-restrictive	Oslo, som er hovedstaden, er stor.	Oslo, which is the capital, is large.
Place	Huset der vi bor.	The house where we live.
Possessive	Mannen hvis bil ble stjålet.	The man whose car was stolen.

Universal word order rule

All subordinate clauses share the same word order: sentence adverbials (ikke, aldri, alltid, kanskje) precede the finite verb:

Main clause	Subordinate clause
Jeg har ikke sett det.	...at jeg ikke har sett det.
Hun kommer alltid tidlig.	...fordi hun alltid kommer tidlig.

Fronted subordinate clauses and V2

When any subordinate clause comes first, the main clause requires V2 word order:

Structure	Example
Adverbial first	Fordi det regnet, ble vi hjemme.
Nominal first	At du kommer, er viktig.
Temporal first	Da hun kom, gikk han.

Examples in Context

Norwegian	English	Note
Det er viktig at du forstår.	It's important that you understand.	Nominal (subject with det)
Hun sang mens hun gikk.	She sang while she walked.	Adverbial (time)
Selv om han er ung, er han klok.	Although he's young, he's wise.	Adverbial (concession) + V2
Jeg lurer på hva som skjer.	I wonder what's happening.	Nominal (embedded question)
Boka som jeg leste var spennende.	The book I read was exciting.	Relative clause
Fordi hun ikke var der, dro vi.	Because she wasn't there, we left.	Adverbial (reason) + V2
Det at han kom overrasket meg.	The fact that he came surprised me.	Nominal as subject
Hvis du har tid, kan du hjelpe.	If you have time, you can help.	Adverbial (condition)
Mannen som alltid sitter der er legen.	The man who always sits there is the doctor.	Relative with adverb
Jeg jobber for at barna skal ha det bra.	I work so that the children will be well.	Adverbial (purpose)
Det var så mørkt at vi ikke kunne se.	It was so dark that we couldn't see.	Adverbial (result)
Han sa at han aldri hadde vært der.	He said he had never been there.	Nominal with adverb placement

Common Mistakes

Applying main clause word order in subordinate clauses

• Wrong: ...fordi jeg har ikke spist.
• Right: ...fordi jeg ikke har spist.
• Why: This is the single most common error. All subordinate clause types -- nominal, adverbial, and relative -- require adverbials before the finite verb.

Forgetting V2 after a fronted subordinate clause

• Wrong: Selv om det regnet, vi gikk ut.
• Right: Selv om det regnet, gikk vi ut.
• Why: The fronted subordinate clause occupies position 1. The main clause verb must immediately follow in position 2, with the subject after it.

Confusing at (that) and det (it/that)

• Wrong: Det er viktig det du forstår.
• Right: Det er viktig at du forstår.
• Why: At is the conjunction introducing a nominal clause. Det is the formal subject. They serve different functions and cannot replace each other.

Omitting at where it causes ambiguity

• Wrong: Jeg sa han var her. (in formal writing)
• Right: Jeg sa at han var her.
• Why: While at can be dropped in casual speech after common verbs, in formal or written Norwegian it should be retained for clarity, especially in complex sentences.

Using adverbial conjunctions where nominal clauses are needed

• Wrong: Fordi hun kommer er viktig.
• Right: At hun kommer er viktig.
• Why: The subject of "is important" must be a nominal clause (with at), not an adverbial clause (with fordi). Nominal clauses fill noun positions; adverbial clauses modify verbs.

Usage Notes

Formal written Bokmål uses the full range of subordinate clause types with precise conjunction choices. In casual spoken Norwegian, clause structures may be simplified: at is often dropped, and complex adverbial clauses may be replaced by shorter coordinated clauses with og, men, or for.

The distinction between restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses is less formally marked in Norwegian than in English (Norwegian does not use "which" vs. "that"), but commas can indicate the non-restrictive type: Oslo, som er hovedstaden, er stor.

Understanding subordinate clause types is important for the B2 proficiency test (Norskprøven) and for academic writing, where complex sentence structures are expected.

Practice Tips

• Classify clauses in authentic texts. Take a Norwegian newspaper article and identify every subordinate clause. Label each as nominal, adverbial (with subtype), or relative. This analytical exercise strengthens your structural awareness.
• Combine simple sentences. Take pairs of simple sentences and combine them using different subordinate clause types: Det regnet. Vi gikk ut. can become Selv om det regnet, gikk vi ut (adverbial) or Vi gikk ut, noe som overrasket alle (relative).
• Practice the word order switch. Write the same subordinate clause in two positions -- fronted and final -- and check that V2 applies correctly when fronted: Fordi det regnet, ble vi hjemme. / Vi ble hjemme fordi det regnet.

Related Concepts

• Relative Clauses - Parent concept