Prøvesangen er kort.

Because Norwegian usually forms compound nouns as one word.

So prøvesangen can be broken down like this:

• prøve = test / trial / rehearsal / sample
• sang = song
• -en = the (definite singular ending)

So the core noun is prøvesang, and prøvesangen is the definite form of that compound noun.

English often writes similar ideas as two words, but Norwegian normally joins them.

In Norwegian, the is often added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word.

Here:

• sang = song
• sangen = the song

So:

• prøvesang = a test/rehearsal/sample song
• prøvesangen = the test/rehearsal/sample song

This is very normal in Norwegian. English uses a separate article; Norwegian often uses a suffix article.

The first part, prøve-, can have slightly different shades of meaning depending on context.

In compounds, prøve can suggest things like:

• test
• trial
• sample
• rehearsal

So prøvesang might mean something like:

• a test song
• a rehearsal song
• a sample song

The exact nuance depends on the situation. That is very common with Norwegian compounds: the general meaning is clear, but the exact English translation can change with context.

Er is the present tense of å være = to be.

So it corresponds to English is / am / are, depending on the subject.

Examples:

• Jeg er = I am
• Du er = you are
• Han er = he is
• Prøvesangen er kort = the test/rehearsal song is short

Unlike English, Norwegian does not change the present-tense verb by person. It stays er.

Because here kort is a predicate adjective, not an adjective directly attached to the noun.

Compare:

• en kort prøvesang = a short test/rehearsal song
  
  • here kort comes before the noun
• Prøvesangen er kort = the test/rehearsal song is short
  
  • here kort comes after er

This is similar to English:

• a short song
• the song is short

So the position of kort is normal.

Because the adjective is in predicate position after er, and the subject is singular.

With adjectives in Norwegian, the form depends on gender/number and sometimes on position.

Here, kort is the correct form.

Useful comparison:

• en kort sang = a short song
• et kort dikt = a short poem
• korte sanger = short songs
• sangen er kort = the song is short
• sangene er korte = the songs are short

So in your sentence, singular subject + predicate adjective gives kort.

Also, kort already ends in -t, so you do not add anything extra here.

This sentence uses the normal Norwegian order for a simple statement:

• subject + verb + complement

So:

• Prøvesangen = subject
• er = verb
• kort = complement/adjective

That is completely standard.

It also fits the broader Norwegian V2 pattern, where the finite verb normally comes in the second position in main clauses.

The letter ø is a vowel that does not exist in standard English, so English speakers often find it tricky.

A rough guide:

• it is pronounced with the tongue fairly forward in the mouth
• the lips are rounded
• it is somewhat similar to the vowel in French deux or German schön

In prøve, the ø is the important unfamiliar sound.

A rough English-friendly approximation of prøvesangen might be something like:

PRUH-vuh-sang-en

But that is only approximate. The real Norwegian vowel is more rounded and more fronted than English uh.