Forsøket varer i ett minutt.

Forsøk can mean experiment, attempt, or trial, depending on context. In this sentence, it means experiment.

The ending -et is the definite ending, so:

• et forsøk = an experiment
• forsøket = the experiment

Unlike English, Norwegian usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun.

You learn that from the dictionary form: et forsøk.

In Norwegian, et marks a neuter noun. Neuter nouns typically have:

• et in the indefinite singular
• -et in the definite singular

So:

• et forsøk
• forsøket

Because minutt is also a neuter noun:

• et minutt = a minute
• ett minutt = one minute

So en minutt is wrong.

The form ett is the numeral one, while et is the indefinite article a/an. In this sentence, ett emphasizes the exact number: one minute.

With expressions of duration, Norwegian often uses i where English uses for.

So:

• varer i ett minutt = lasts for one minute
• sover i to timer = sleeps for two hours
• møtet varer i hele dag would be wrong, but møtet varer hele dagen is fine because not every duration expression needs i

In this sentence, i ett minutt is the normal way to express duration after å vare.

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

So:

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

In this sentence, varer tells you how long the experiment continues.

No, not here.

• Forsøket varer i ett minutt = correct
• Forsøket er i ett minutt = not natural Norwegian for duration

If you want to talk about duration, å vare is the right verb.

Yes, that is also natural.

There is a small difference in focus:

• Forsøket varer i ett minutt = the experiment lasts one minute
• Forsøket tar ett minutt = the experiment takes one minute

In many situations, both are possible. Varer focuses a bit more directly on duration.

No. This is a very normal main-clause pattern:

• Forsøket = subject
• varer = verb
• i ett minutt = time expression

So it follows the basic order Subject + Verb + Time expression.

If you move something else to the front, Norwegian still keeps the verb in second position:

• I ett minutt varer forsøket.

That is grammatical, but more marked and less neutral than the original sentence.

Use et forsøk when you mean an experiment / an attempt in a general or new sense.

Use forsøket when you mean the experiment / the attempt, meaning a specific one that is already known from the context.

Compare:

• Et forsøk varer i ett minutt. = An experiment lasts one minute.
• Forsøket varer i ett minutt. = The experiment lasts one minute.

Yes. Forsøk is a flexible word.

It can mean:

• experiment
• attempt
• trial

For example:

• et forsøk på å hjelpe = an attempt to help
• et vitenskapelig forsøk = a scientific experiment

So the exact meaning depends on the context.

The vowel ø does not have an exact English equivalent.

A useful approximation is:

• round your lips as if saying oo
• but try to make a vowel closer to eh

If you know other languages, it is similar to the vowel in French deux or German schön.

In forsøket, the stress is on the second syllable, so roughly:

• for-SØ-ket

That is only an approximation, but it helps as a starting point.