Lesson goal
In this lesson, the student learns to talk about work in the field, the condition of the soil, and the weather, as well as explain why the plan changes. The main task is to connect cause and result in work-related phrases using fordi and derfor.
New vocabulary
åker — field, arable land
jord — soil, earth
å så — to sow
å høste — to harvest
værmelding — weather forecast
regn — rain
vind — wind
tørt — dry
vått — wet, damp
forhold — conditions
jordet — field, plot
for våt — too wet
for mye vind — too much wind
gode forhold — good conditions
i morgen — tomorrow
Useful phrases
Vi kan ikke så fordi jorda er for våt. — We cannot sow because the soil is too wet.
Det blir regn, derfor høster vi i morgen. — It will rain, therefore we will harvest tomorrow.
Forholdene er gode i dag. — The conditions are good today.
Det er for mye vind på jordet. — There is too much wind in the field.
Vi må sjekke værmeldingen. — We need to check the weather forecast.
Jorda er tørr nok til å så. — The soil is dry enough to sow.
Det er for vått på åkeren i dag. — It is too wet in the field today.
Vi venter med arbeidet fordi det regner. — We are postponing the work because it is raining.
Det er tørt nå, derfor kan vi begynne. — It is dry now, therefore we can begin.
Vi høster før regnet kommer. — We harvest before the rain comes.
Grammar
To connect cause and effect here, you need fordi and derfor. Fordi introduces the cause and answers the question “why?”: Vi venter fordi det regner. So after the main statement, an explanation is added. Derfor shows the result or decision: Det regner. Derfor venter vi. It is important to remember the difference: fordi connects the cause with the main statement, while derfor usually stands in the second sentence or after a full stop and shows the consequence. In work-related speech, this helps explain briefly why a task is postponed, started, or canceled.
Examples
Vi kan ikke jobbe på åkeren fordi det er for vått. — We cannot work in the field because it is too wet.
Det blåser mye i dag, derfor venter vi med å så. — It is very windy today, therefore we are postponing sowing.
Jorda er tørr og fin, derfor kan vi begynne nå. — The soil is dry and good, therefore we can begin now.
Vi sjekker værmeldingen fordi været skifter fort. — We check the weather forecast because the weather changes quickly.
Det kommer regn i kveld, derfor høster vi først. — Rain is coming this evening, therefore we harvest first.
Forholdene er ikke gode fordi det er mye vind. — The conditions are not good because there is a lot of wind.
Det er tørt på jordet, derfor kjører vi ut i dag. — It is dry in the field, therefore we head out today.
Vi kan ikke så ennå fordi jorda er kald og våt. — We cannot sow yet because the soil is cold and wet.
Det regnet i natt, derfor er åkeren våt i morges. — It rained last night, therefore the field is wet this morning.
Forholdene er bedre nå, derfor fortsetter vi arbeidet. — The conditions are better now, therefore we continue the work.