Lesson goal
After the lesson, the student will be able to name a profession, describe main work responsibilities, talk about schedule, experience, and responsibility, and also use the modal verbs må, bør and kan in typical work situations.
Usage context
This topic is used when meeting people at work, in a job interview, in conversation with colleagues and a manager, when describing one’s experience, tasks, and working conditions. Typical situations: talking about one’s position, discussing responsibilities, assigning tasks, describing the workday, and talking about the work environment and job requirements.
New vocabulary
yrke — profession — a general word for occupation
arbeidsoppgave — work task, responsibility — a specific task or part of the job
kollega — colleague — a person you work with
arbeidstid — working hours, schedule — about hours and work routine
erfaring — experience — often used with ha erfaring and fra
ansvar — responsibility — usually in the phrase ha ansvar for
søknad — application, request; in a work context, a job application — often about applying for a job: jobbsøknad
ansettelse — employment, hiring — a formal word about being hired
arbeidsmiljø — work environment, atmosphere at work — about safety, relationships, and conditions
bransje — industry, field — useful for describing work experience
sjef — boss, manager — a neutral conversational word
heltid — full-time — contrasted with deltid
deltid — part-time — work that is not full-time
Useful phrases
Jeg jobber som lærer. — I work as a teacher. — when you need to name a profession
Jeg har ansvar for flere arbeidsoppgaver. — I am responsible for several work tasks. — when describing responsibilities
Hun har mye erfaring fra denne bransjen. — She has a lot of experience in this industry. — when talking about experience
Vi må samarbeide godt på jobb. — We must cooperate well at work. — when talking about necessity
Jeg ønsker et trygt arbeidsmiljø. — I want a safe work environment. — when describing expectations from a job
Arbeidstiden min er fra åtte til fire. — My working hours are from eight to four. — when talking about schedule
Jeg sendte en søknad i forrige uke. — I sent an application last week. — in the topic of job search
Han fikk fast ansettelse i fjor. — He got permanent employment last year. — when talking about hiring
Grammar
In a work context, modal verbs help express what needs to be done, what is advisable to do, and what a person can do or is able to do. After må, bør and kan, the main verb is placed in the infinitive without å.
må — necessity, obligation: Jeg må svare på e-poster.
bør — advice, recommendation, mild requirement: Du bør komme presis.
kan — ability, possibility, permission: Hun kan lede møter.
Standard word order: subject + modal verb + infinitive
After a modal verb, å is not used: correct Jeg må jobbe, not Jeg må å jobbe
With negation, the particle ikke usually comes after the modal verb: Jeg kan ikke jobbe i kveld.
Examples with explanation
Jeg jobber som sykepleier på et sykehus. — I work as a nurse at a hospital. The phrase jobber som is used to name a profession.
Mine viktigste arbeidsoppgaver er å hjelpe kunder og svare på e-poster. — My most important work tasks are helping customers and answering emails. After er, responsibilities are listed; here the infinitive with å is possible because this is not a modal verb.
Jeg har ansvar for nye ansatte i avdelingen. — I am responsible for new employees in the department. Fixed expression: ha ansvar for.
Hun har mye erfaring fra hotellbransjen. — She has a lot of experience from the hotel industry. The word erfaring is often used with fra when indicating the source of experience.
Vi må samarbeide godt for å bli ferdige i tide. — We must cooperate well to finish on time. må shows necessity; after it comes the infinitive samarbeide without å.
Du bør snakke med sjefen hvis du har for mye å gjøre. — You should talk to the boss if you have too much to do. bør expresses a recommendation, not a strict obligation.
Jeg kan jobbe både heltid og deltid. — I can work both full-time and part-time. Here kan shows possibility.
Arbeidstiden vår er fleksibel, men vi må være på kontoret om morgenen. — Our schedule is flexible, but we must be in the office in the morning. One sentence combines a description of conditions and an obligation.
Han sendte en søknad og fikk ansettelse etter to intervjuer. — He sent an application and got a job after two interviews. This shows a typical sequence: application, interview, hiring.
Et godt arbeidsmiljø kan gjøre arbeidsdagen lettere. — A good work environment can make the workday easier. kan expresses a possible result here, not ability.
Typical mistakes
Jeg må å jobbe sent. → Jeg må jobbe sent. — after a modal verb, å is not used
Jeg har ansvar på prosjektet. → Jeg har ansvar for prosjektet. — with ansvar, the preposition for is usually used
Hun har erfaring i denne bransjen. → Hun har erfaring fra denne bransjen. — in this meaning, fra is more natural when talking about experience from a field
Vi bør å samarbeide mer. → Vi bør samarbeide mer. — after bør, the infinitive without å is also needed
Jeg kan ikke å komme i morgen. → Jeg kan ikke komme i morgen. — after kan, the infinitive is without å
Jeg jobber like en lærer. → Jeg jobber som lærer. — a profession is named with som
Mini-summary
yrke — profession, arbeidsoppgave — work task, arbeidsmiljø — work environment
ha ansvar for and ha erfaring fra — important fixed expressions
må = must, bør = should, kan = can/am able to
After må, bør and kan, the verb comes without å