Bilfergen går én sjømil i kveld.

Bilfergen means the car ferry.

It is a compound noun, which is very common in Norwegian:

• bil = car
• ferge = ferry
• bilferge = car ferry
• bilfergen = the car ferry

Norwegian usually writes compounds as one word, where English often uses two words. So bilferge is natural, while writing bil ferge would be wrong.

Because bilfergen is the definite singular form: the car ferry.

Compare:

• en bilferge = a car ferry
• bilfergen = the car ferry

In Norwegian, definiteness is often shown by adding an ending to the noun:

• ferge = ferry
• fergen = the ferry

In a compound noun, that definite ending goes on the last part:

• bilferge = car ferry
• bilfergen = the car ferry

No. Although gå often means to walk, it has several other meanings in Norwegian.

In this sentence, går means something like:

• goes
• runs
• operates
• sails / makes its trip

With transport, gå is very common:

• Toget går klokka seks. = The train leaves / runs at six.
• Båten går til øya. = The boat goes to the island.

So here Bilfergen går ... means the ferry goes / runs / travels.

Because Norwegian often uses the present tense for future events, especially for:

• schedules
• planned transport
• near-future events

So Bilfergen går i kveld can naturally mean:

• The car ferry goes tonight
• The car ferry is running tonight
• The car ferry leaves tonight

This is very similar to English sentences like:

• The train leaves tonight
• My flight departs tomorrow

So the present tense does not mean it is happening right now.

Én is the numeral one, written with an accent to show that it is the number and not the indefinite article a/an.

Compare:

• en sjømil = a nautical mile
• én sjømil = one nautical mile

In writing, the accent is often used when you want to make the meaning extra clear or emphasize the number. In speech, the difference is usually shown by stress.

So én sjømil highlights the idea of exactly one nautical mile.

Sjømil means nautical mile.

It is a measurement used especially at sea and in navigation.

• én sjømil = one nautical mile
• 1 nautical mile = 1.852 kilometers

Do not confuse sjømil with mil in everyday Norwegian:

• en mil in Norwegian usually means 10 kilometers
• en sjømil is a completely different unit

So even if both contain mil, they are not the same distance.

Because Norwegian can express distance directly after a verb of movement.

This works a bit like English in sentences such as:

• We walked five kilometers
• They drove ten miles

Norwegian does the same:

• gå én kilometer
• kjøre to mil
• seile én sjømil

So går én sjømil means travels one nautical mile.

That said, with a ferry, this wording is a little unusual on its own, because ferries are more often described by route or destination than by distance.

I kveld means tonight or this evening, depending on context.

Examples:

• Vi sees i kveld. = We’ll see each other tonight / this evening.
• Bilfergen går i kveld. = The car ferry goes tonight.

It refers to the evening of the current day.

Yes. Norwegian word order is flexible with time expressions.

You can say:

• Bilfergen går én sjømil i kveld.
• I kveld går bilfergen én sjømil.

When i kveld is moved to the front, the verb must come next. This is a standard Norwegian word order rule often called V2 word order.

So:

• I kveld går bilfergen ... is correct
• I kveld bilfergen går ... is not correct

It is grammatically possible, but by itself it sounds a bit unusual.

Why? Because with a ferry, Norwegian speakers would often expect information such as:

• where it goes
• what route it takes
• when it departs

Saying only that it goes one nautical mile tonight is possible, but it sounds context-dependent, as if the distance is important for some special reason.

So the sentence is useful for learning grammar and vocabulary, but in everyday speech a Norwegian speaker might more naturally say something like:

• Bilfergen går i kveld.
• Bilfergen går én sjømil ut fra havna i kveld.
• Bilfergen går til øya i kveld.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

BIL-fer-gen gor ayn SHØ-mil ee kvel

A few notes:

• bilfergen has the stress early: BIL-fergen
• går has a long vowel somewhat like go but more rounded
• én sounds like ayn
• sjø has a sound that English does not have exactly; shø is only an approximation
• kveld has a short, compact ending

If you want, I can also give you a more exact pronunciation in IPA.