# Norwegian: Underrettet question



## sjiraff

Hei alle sammen, lenge siden sist, håper dere har hatt det bra.

I was reading in a book and a lady said "Jag var og underrettet inspektørene og resten av ledelsen om hva som har skjedd".

Now i'm not really sure what's going on with "Jeg var og underrettet", I never really see that word used (it means the same as meddelle if I'm right?), but the structure doesn't make much sense to me to say "I was and informed the inspectors...", unless there was maybe a comma like "jeg var, og (jeg) underrettet..." but there is no dialogue before this statement even to suggest that she's confirming being anywhere or anything.

Thanks for any help guys!


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## myšlenka

You find an answer in post #3 here


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## Ben Jamin

sjiraff said:


> Hei alle sammen, lenge siden sist, håper dere har hatt det bra.
> 
> I was reading in a book and a lady said "Jag var og underrettet inspektørene og resten av ledelsen som hva som har skjedd".
> 
> Now i'm not really sure what's going on with "Jeg var og underrettet", I never really see that word used (it means the same as meddelle if I'm right?), but the structure doesn't make much sense to me to say "I was and informed the inspectors...", unless there was maybe a comma like "jeg var, og (jeg) underrettet..." but there is no dialogue before this statement even to suggest that she's confirming being anywhere or anything.
> 
> Thanks for any help guys!


I think that the sentence is misquoted. I would expect it to be"Jag var og underrettet inspektørene og resten av ledelsen *om* hva som har skjedd". 
But I'm not familiar with phrases of the type "Jeg var og underrettet". I can't recall ever seeing it or reading.


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## sjiraff

Ah yes Ben Jamin, sorry for the typo I meant "om".

Myslenka, I think I am still unsure because I could understand if it had "ute" before "og" or something, but I've never seen anything written like this. Does it just mean "Jeg underrettet inspektørene"?

Thanks!


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## myšlenka

sjiraff said:


> Myslenka, I think I am still unsure because I could understand if it had "ute" before "og" or something, but I've never seen anything written like this. Does it just mean "Jeg underrettet inspektørene"?


It's not just "jeg underrettet inspektørene". The construction adds the additional meaning of being absent (i.e. not here).


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## sjiraff

myšlenka said:


> It's not just "jeg underrettet inspektørene". The construction adds the additional meaning of being absent (i.e. not here).


But, how can she have informed the inspectors without being present?


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## myšlenka

sjiraff said:


> But, how can she have informed the inspectors without being present?


The absence is context-specific.

Kollega: Ah, der er du. Jeg så etter deg på kontoret for en halvtime siden.
Hun: Jeg var og underrettet inspektørene og resten av ledelsen om hva som har skjedd. (absent from the office)


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## sjiraff

myšlenka said:


> The absence is context-specific.
> 
> Kollega: Ah, der er du. Jeg så etter deg på kontoret for en halvtime siden.
> Hun: Jeg var og underrettet inspektørene og resten av ledelsen om hva som har skjedd. (absent from the office)



Oh I see! Hmm so, is this a fixed expression? I'm still a bit confused actually since she actually opens the dialogue (no one asks if she was gone or was looking for her). She just says "Hva skal man si" begynte rektoren. "Jeg var og underrettet inspektørene (osv.)". 

Thanks, always appreciate the help!


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## raumar

sjiraff said:


> I'm still a bit confused actually since she actually opens the dialogue (no one asks if she was gone or was looking for her). She just says "Hva skal man si" begynte rektoren. "Jeg var og underrettet inspektørene (osv.)"



There is nothing unusual about this - she just says that she has informed the inspectors, and (implicitly) that she went somewhere else to do that. 



Ben Jamin said:


> But I'm not familiar with phrases of the type "Jeg var og underrettet". I can't recall ever seeing it or reading.



Well, it is typical of spoken Norwegian. I must have said "_Jeg har vært og ...._" many times, but I would not write it. 

That makes the original sentence a bit odd, in my opinion. "_Underrette_" is a formal, bureaucratic word - usually used in written texts, not in spoken language. It does not really fit in with "_Jeg var og ..._"


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## sjiraff

raumar said:


> There is nothing unusual about this - she just says that she has informed the inspectors, and (implicitly) that she went somewhere else to do that.
> 
> 
> 
> Well, it is typical of spoken Norwegian. I must have said "_Jeg har vært og ...._" many times, but I would not write it.
> 
> That makes the original sentence a bit odd, in my opinion. "_Underrette_" is a formal, bureaucratic word - usually used in written texts, not in spoken language. It does not really fit in with "_Jeg var og ..._"



So people say "jeg var og *verb*" just meaning like, "jeg gikk bort og.." or "jeg gikk for å underrette..." or something?

Thanks!


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## raumar

Yes. But I could also say, for example, "_Jeg var og besøkte tante Berit i går_", instead of "_Jeg besøkte tante Berit i går_". Or "_Jeg har vært og gått en tur_", instead of "_Jeg har gått en tur_". There are no differences in meaning in these cases, since also the shorter versions make it clear that I have been absent. We nevertheless often use the longer versions. I don't really know why, but it may be that the longer versions sound less abrupt - more conversational.


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## sjiraff

raumar said:


> Yes. But I could also say, for example, "_Jeg var og besøkte tante Berit i går_", instead of "_Jeg besøkte tante Berit i går_". Or "_Jeg har vært og gått en tur_", instead of "_Jeg har gått en tur_". There are no differences in meaning in these cases, since also the shorter versions make it clear that I have been absent. We nevertheless often use the longer versions. I don't really know why, but it may be that the longer versions sound less abrupt - more conversational.


Ahh I see, I've probably heard this spoken before but not really registered it perhaps. Seeing it written just confused me because in English it would never be said and I assumed it was some kind of typo.

Thanks a lot!


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