Fasaden er gammel.

Because -en is the definite singular ending for this noun in Bokmål.

• fasade = a facade
• fasaden = the facade

So Fasaden er gammel uses the definite form because it means The facade is old, not A facade is old.

Er is the present tense of å være, which means to be.

So:

• jeg er = I am
• du er = you are
• fasaden er = the facade is

Norwegian uses er for all persons in the present tense, so it is simpler than English.

Because Norwegian adjectives often agree with the noun they describe.

Here, fasaden is singular and not neuter, so the adjective is gammel.

Compare:

• en bil er gammel = a car is old
• et hus er gammelt = a house is old
• husene er gamle = the houses are old

A useful detail: after er, the adjective is still adjusted for gender and number, but not for definiteness. That is why it is still gammel, even though fasaden is definite.

No, this is a very basic Norwegian statement pattern:

subject + verb + adjective

So:

• Fasaden = subject
• er = verb
• gammel = adjective

It works very much like English: The facade is old.

For a yes/no question, Norwegian usually puts the verb first:

Er fasaden gammel? = Is the facade old?

That verb-first pattern is very common in Norwegian questions.

You would say:

Fasaden er ikke gammel.

In simple sentences with er, ikke usually comes after the verb:

• Fasaden er gammel. = The facade is old.
• Fasaden er ikke gammel. = The facade is not old.

A simple learner-friendly guide would be:

• fasaden ≈ fa-SAH-den
• er ≈ a short air / ehr sound
• gammel ≈ GAHM-mel

A few notes:

• The stress is usually on the second syllable of fasaden.
• gammel has a clear mm sound.
• The r in er will depend on dialect, so don’t worry too much about making it perfect at first.

Usually it refers to the facade/exterior face of a building, especially the visible outer front or surface.

In some contexts, it can also be used more figuratively, like English facade, meaning an outward appearance that hides something else. But in a sentence like Fasaden er gammel, the most natural reading is the literal building facade.

Yes, often it would.

For example:

• Døren er gammel. = The door is old.
• Huset er gammelt. = The house is old.
• Bygningene er gamle. = The buildings are old.

So this sentence is a good example of a bigger pattern in Norwegian: adjectives often change form depending on the noun’s gender and number.