Lakken er rød.

The paintwork is red.

Breakdown of Lakken er rød.

• være: to be
• rød: red
• lakken: the paintwork

Questions & Answers about Lakken er rød.

Why does lakken end in -en?

Because Norwegian usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like the.

• lakk = lacquer / paint / varnish
• lakken = the lacquer / paint / varnish

For a masculine singular noun, -en is the normal definite ending.

Why is there no separate word for the?

In this sentence, the is already built into lakken.

That is very common in Norwegian:

• en bil = a car
• bilen = the car

So:

• lakk = lacquer
• lakken = the lacquer

A separate word like the is not needed here.

What does er mean?

Er means is.

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

So the sentence structure is:

• Lakken = the lacquer
• er = is
• rød = red

Why is it and not or ?