Hørselsvernet er viktig.

Hearing protection is important.

Breakdown of Hørselsvernet er viktig.

• være: to be
• viktig: important
• hørselsvernet: the hearing protection

Questions & Answers about Hørselsvernet er viktig.

What does hørselsvernet mean as a word, and how is it built?

It is a compound noun:

• hørsel = hearing
• vern = protection

So hørselsvern means hearing protection.

In the sentence, you have hørselsvernet, which is the definite form: the hearing protection.

There is also a linking -s- between hørsel and vern. That -s- is very common in Norwegian compounds and does not usually need to be translated.

Why does hørselsvernet end in -et?

Because the noun is neuter and definite singular.

The basic noun is:

• et hørselsvern = a hearing protection device / hearing protection

The definite form is:

• hørselsvernet = the hearing protection

For many neuter nouns, the definite singular ending is -et:

• et hus → huset
• et vern → vernet
• et hørselsvern → hørselsvernet

How do I know that hørselsvern is neuter?