Lampeskjermen er grønn.

Because lampeskjermen is the definite form, meaning the lampshade.

• en lampeskjerm = a lampshade
• lampeskjermen = the lampshade

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun as a suffix rather than written as a separate word like the in English.

It is a compound noun:

• lampe = lamp
• skjerm = screen / shade

So lampeskjerm means lampshade.

Then the definite ending -en is added:

• lampeskjerm = lampshade
• lampeskjermen = the lampshade

Compound nouns are very common in Norwegian.

Norwegian usually expresses the by attaching an ending to the noun.

Here:

• lampeskjerm = lampshade
• lampeskjermen = the lampshade

So instead of saying something like the lampshade, Norwegian often puts the definiteness directly onto the noun.

Er means is / am / are.

It is the present tense of the verb å være (to be).

Examples:

• Jeg er trøtt. = I am tired.
• Hun er glad. = She is happy.
• Lampeskjermen er grønn. = The lampshade is green.

Unlike English, Norwegian does not change this form for different persons in the present tense:

• jeg er
• du er
• han er
• vi er

Because grønn is the basic form of the adjective green for a singular noun of common gender.

Adjectives in Norwegian often change form depending on the noun:

• en grønn lampeskjerm = a green lampshade
• et grønt hus = a green house
• grønne biler = green cars

So grønn is one of several forms of the adjective.

Because lampeskjermen is a singular noun of common gender.

Adjective agreement in Norwegian works like this:

• grønn for singular common gender
• grønt for singular neuter
• grønne for plural and often for definite noun phrases with adjectives before the noun

Here, lampeskjerm is a common-gender noun (en lampeskjerm), so the adjective is grønn.

Because this sentence uses the adjective predicatively, not directly before the noun.

Compare:

1. Predicative adjective

   • Lampeskjermen er grønn.
   • The lampshade is green.

2. Attributive adjective

   • Den grønne lampeskjermen
   • The green lampshade

When the adjective comes after er, it agrees mainly with gender/number, but it does not take the definite -e form just because the noun is definite.

So:

• lampeskjermen er grønn
• but den grønne lampeskjermen

It is a common gender noun, so you say:

• en lampeskjerm
• lampeskjermen

That is why the adjective form is grønn.

Norwegian Bokmål has:

• common gender nouns, usually with en
• neuter nouns, usually with et

The order is:

subject + verb + adjective

• Lampeskjermen = subject
• er = verb
• grønn = adjective/complement

This is the same basic pattern as in English:

• The lampshade is green.

So the sentence structure is very straightforward.

A rough guide is something like grurn or grern, but neither is exact.

The tricky part is ø, which does not exist in standard English. It is a front rounded vowel. A useful approximation is to start from the vowel in French peu or German schön, if you know those.

A few pronunciation notes:

• grønn is one syllable
• the ø is short here
• the final nn helps make the vowel short

If you cannot produce ø yet, an approximation is fine at first, but it is worth practicing because ø distinguishes words in Norwegian.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

LAHM-peh-shair-men
but this is only approximate.

A few useful points:

• lampe sounds roughly like LAHM-peh
• skj in many Norwegian words is pronounced like English sh
• skjerm sounds roughly like sherm, but with a Norwegian vowel quality
• -en at the end is the definite ending

So the middle part skjerm is the one many learners need to practice.

Not normally if you want to say the lampshade itself is green.

Lampeskjermen er grønn means the object has the color green.

If you say er en grønn farge, you are saying something is a green color, which would sound odd for a physical object like a lampshade.

So for colors, Norwegian usually uses the adjective directly:

• Bilen er rød. = The car is red.
• Huset er hvitt. = The house is white.
• Lampeskjermen er grønn. = The lampshade is green.

Not in a normal complete sentence.

Norwegian usually requires an explicit subject, so you need:

• Lampeskjermen er grønn.

Leaving out the subject would sound incomplete unless it is in a very special conversational context.

Yes.

Singular:

• Lampeskjermen er grønn. = The lampshade is green.

Plural:

• Lampeskjermene er grønne. = The lampshades are green.

Notice two changes:

• lampeskjermen → lampeskjermene
• grønn → grønne

That is because the noun and adjective both change in the plural.