Frivilligvakten varer i seks timer.

Frivilligvakten is a compound noun:

• frivillig = voluntary / volunteer
• vakt = guard duty, watch, shift, duty

Together, frivilligvakt means something like volunteer shift or volunteer duty.

Then -en is added to make it definite:

• en frivilligvakt = a volunteer shift
• frivilligvakten = the volunteer shift

So the sentence is talking about one specific volunteer shift.

Because -en is the common singular definite ending for many masculine nouns in Norwegian.

Here:

• vakt is usually treated as a common-gender noun
• en vakt = a shift / a watch
• vakten = the shift / the watch

Since this is a compound noun, the definite ending goes on the last part:

• frivilligvakt = volunteer shift
• frivilligvakten = the volunteer shift

That is very normal in Norwegian compounds.

Varer is the present tense of vare, which means to last.

So:

• å vare = to last
• varer = lasts / is lasting

In this sentence, Frivilligvakten varer i seks timer means The volunteer shift lasts for six hours.

Be careful not to confuse vare here with other similar-looking words. In this sentence, it clearly means continue for a certain amount of time.

Because Norwegian finite verbs in the present tense usually take -r or another present-tense form, and here the correct present-tense form is varer.

Compare:

• å vare = to last
• varer = lasts

Since the subject is frivilligvakten, the sentence needs a conjugated verb:

• Frivilligvakten varer ... = The volunteer shift lasts ...

You would use vare after another verb, for example:

• kan vare = can last
• skal vare = will last / is supposed to last

Here i is used to express duration: how long something lasts.

So:

• varer i seks timer = lasts for six hours

This is very common in Norwegian with periods of time.

Examples:

• Møtet varer i to timer. = The meeting lasts for two hours.
• Filmen varer i halvannen time. = The film lasts for an hour and a half.

In natural English, we often say just lasts six hours, but Norwegian commonly uses i in this kind of sentence.

In standard Norwegian, varer i seks timer is the normal and safest choice.

You may sometimes hear shorter expressions in other contexts, but for learners, it is best to use:

• vare i + time period

So if you want to say that something lasts a certain amount of time, i is the pattern to remember.

Because seks is more than one, so Norwegian uses the plural noun:

• én time = one hour
• to timer = two hours
• seks timer = six hours

So after most numbers greater than one, you use the plural form.

Because the sentence is talking about a quantity of time, not about specific previously known hours.

• seks timer = six hours
• de seks timene = the six hours

After a number, Norwegian normally uses the indefinite plural:

• tre dager = three days
• fire uker = four weeks
• seks timer = six hours

So i seks timer is exactly what you would expect.

Yes. This is a very normal Norwegian main clause:

• Frivilligvakten = subject
• varer = verb
• i seks timer = time-duration phrase

So the structure is:

Subject + verb + expression of duration

That is straightforward and natural Norwegian.

Yes. Norwegian very often joins nouns into one word where English might use two words.

So English may write:

• volunteer shift
• school bus
• summer house

But Norwegian commonly makes one compound word:

• frivilligvakt
• skolebuss
• sommerhus

This is an important habit to learn, because writing them as separate words is often incorrect in Norwegian.

Yes, mainly in how you translate frivilligvakt.

Depending on context, frivilligvakten could be understood as:

• the volunteer shift
• the volunteer duty
• the volunteer watch

But the grammar stays the same, and the core meaning is still:

It lasts for six hours.

So the context tells you the most natural English wording, while the Norwegian sentence structure remains straightforward.