Comma in Norwegian
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When to use comma in Norwegian
After a subordinate clause
Use comma after a subordinate clause if it does not end the sentence.
- Hvis du handler, må du ikke glemme å kjøpe melk.
Between coordinate clauses
Use comma between clauses chained with coordinating conjunctions (og, eller, for, men).
- Jeg vasker gulvet, og du handler.
- Hvis jeg vasker gulvet, og hvis du handler, blir vi fort ferdige.
...but omit the comma between two subordinate clauses if the subordinating conjunction is not repeated:
- Hvis jeg vasker gulvet og du handler, blir vi fort ferdige.
Before and after inserts
Comma before subordinate clauses which are not necessary to keep the meaning of the sentence.
- Bilen, som jeg nettopp vasket, er skitten igjen.
(The car is dirty again. There is only one car. The fact that I just washed it is auxiliary information.)
- Bilen som jeg nettopp vasket, er skitten igjen.
(The car is dirty again. There are several cars, and the car in question is identified as the one I just washed.)
Use comma before and after inserted explanations.
- Hestehov, Tussilago Farfara, er en av vårens første blomster.
Use comma before and after answering words(ja, nei, kanskje), interjections and addressing phrases(proper names, "min herre", "unge dame/mann", etc).
- Ja, vi skal reise. - Vi skal reise, ja.
- Huff, så kaldt det er!
- Ta på lua di, Svein, før du går ut.
- Hvor skal du hen, jenta mi?
Enumerations
Use commas between enumerated items when they are not separated by a conjunction.
With more than two items, enumerations normally use conjunctions between the two last items, and commas otherwise.
- Fargene i det norske flagget er rødt, hvitt og blått.
- Du kan velge nummer 1, 2 eller 3.
