Jo, is a modifying adverb when used in sentences. It can mean: as you know/ as you remember, know/remember and refers to something you have mentioned before, or a shared knowledge between two speakers.
- Jeg kan ikke komme på festen på fredag – I cannot come to the party on Friday
- Hvorfor ikke? – Why not?
- Jeg skal jo reise til Paris. – I’m going to Paris, remember?
- Å ja, det stemmer. – Oh yeah, that’s right.
Sometimes jo can imply irritation, especially when one of the speakers’ doesn’t remember what the other preson is referring to:
- Hvorfor har du ikke ryddet rommet ditt? Jeg har jo bedt deg om å rydde det tusen ganger.
- Why haven’t you cleaned your room? I have asked you to do so a thousand times.
Sometimes, jo can be a hint to the other speaker to agree on something .
- Vi kan jo ta det opp på møte i morgen. – We could always bring this up at the meeting tomorrow.
- Vi kan jo utsette møte. – We could always postpone the meeting.
Jo, can also mean YES. Ja, is the affirmative answer to a question. However, if the question contains ikke (not), then the Norwegians use jo, to indicate that the speaker asking the question is wrong:
- Du har ikke tid til å komme i morgen? – You don’t have time to come tomorrow?
- Jo, det har jeg! – Yes, I do have time.
