Lukten er sterk.

Because Norwegian usually puts the definite article on the end of the noun.

• lukt = smell
• lukten = the smell

So Lukten er sterk literally follows the pattern The-smell is strong.

In Norwegian, the definite article is often a suffix rather than a separate word.

So instead of English the smell, Norwegian commonly says lukten. This is one of the first big differences English speakers notice.

Compare:

• en lukt = a smell
• lukten = the smell

Here, lukt behaves like an en-word in Bokmål.

That means:

• en lukt = a smell
• lukten = the smell

For a learner, the safest form to remember is en lukt / lukten.

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

So er can mean:

• am
• are
• is

Examples:

• jeg er = I am
• du er = you are
• lukten er sterk = the smell is strong

Because sterk agrees with the noun type and number.

Here, lukt is an en-word singular noun, so the adjective stays in its basic form:

• en sterk lukt
• Lukten er sterk

You would use sterkt with a neuter singular noun:

• et sterkt lys = a strong light

Because this adjective comes after er. In that position, Norwegian normally does not use the definite -e form just because the noun is definite.

Compare these:

• Lukten er sterk = the smell is strong
• den sterke lukten = the strong smell

So:

• before a definite noun: often sterke
• after er: sterk

The sentence uses the normal Norwegian main-clause order:

subject + verb + complement

So:

• Lukten = subject
• er = verb
• sterk = adjective/complement

This is very similar to English: The smell is strong.

If you turned it into a yes/no question, the verb would come first:

• Er lukten sterk? = Is the smell strong?

A rough English-friendly guide is:

LOOK-ten ehr sterrk

A few notes:

• lukten: stress on the first syllable
• kt is pronounced
• er is short
• r varies by dialect, so don’t worry too much if your r doesn’t sound exactly like every Norwegian speaker’s

The most important thing is to say it smoothly: LUK-ten er sterk.

Usually lukt is fairly neutral, but depending on context it can sound a bit like odor in English.

If you want to emphasize a pleasant smell, Norwegian often uses duft instead.

So:

• lukt = smell / odor
• duft = scent / pleasant smell

That means Lukten er sterk can be neutral, but it may also suggest the smell is noticeable or overpowering.

You may hear lukta in colloquial speech or some dialects. But lukten is a very safe standard Bokmål form for learners.

So if you are studying Bokmål and want the standard written form, lukten is a good choice.

You would say en sterk lukt.

Compare:

• Lukten er sterk = The smell is strong
• en sterk lukt = a strong smell
• den sterke lukten = the strong smell

This is useful because Norwegian changes the adjective depending on where it appears in the sentence.

Often, yes. In everyday Norwegian, people might also say:

Det lukter sterkt.

That means It smells strong or There is a strong smell.

So:

• Lukten er sterk focuses on the smell
• Det lukter sterkt focuses on the experience of smelling it

Both are correct, but Det lukter sterkt is often very natural in conversation.