2.15 Så / Da
“Så” and “da” are two adverbs that have the same meaning, but they are used in different situations. Both can be translated as “then,” but the former is used to put events in order while the latter refers to a time expression that has been mentioned in a previous sentence.
Both of these adverbs often occur at the beginning of the sentence, and then they cause inversion of the subject and the verb.
| Ordering events så (then) |
Jeg står opp klokka sju og tar en dusj. Så spiser jeg frokost og leser avisen. (I get up at 7 o’clock and take a shower. Then I eat breakfast and read the paper.) |
| Referring to a specific time da (then) |
Jeg reiste til Norge for første gang i 1985. Da var Reagan presidenten i USA. (I went to Norway for the first time in 1985. Then Reagan was the president of the USA.) |