deretter

Deretter is a Norwegian adverb meaning "after that" or "thereafter." It signals a subsequent step in a sequence and is commonly used in formal written Norwegian, including reports, manuals, and narrative prose, as well as in spoken Norwegian when a neutral or formal tone is desired. In narrative text it typically introduces the next event: "Først spiste vi frokost. Deretter gikk vi en tur." It can also appear at the start of a clause to continue a sequence: "Deretter ble det besluttet å utsette møtet."

Grammatical notes: Deretter is an adverb and does not require a finite verb of its own; it often follows a period, semicolon, or introductory phrase. In many contexts it is preferred over merely "så" to stress chronological order. In informal speech, speakers may choose simpler connectors such as "så" or other phrases for everyday language.

Etymology and cognates: The word is formed from der (there) and etter (after), yielding "thereafter." Cognates include Danish derefter and Swedish därefter. Deretter is generally used in standard written Bokmål and in formal speech; it is less common in casual conversation. It should not be used to express causation; for that sense Norwegian uses derfor or dermed.