Fototuren går gjennom byen.

Because Norwegian usually writes compound nouns as a single word. Here, foto + turen combine into fototuren.

This is very common in Norwegian:

• fototur = photo trip / photography walk
• fototuren = the photo trip / the photography walk

English often uses separate words where Norwegian prefers one compound word.

Fototuren is a compound noun in the definite singular.

It breaks down like this:

• foto = photo
• tur = trip, walk, excursion
• turen = the trip / the walk
• fototuren = the photo trip / the photography walk

In Norwegian compounds, the last part is the main noun, and that is the part that changes for definiteness.

Because Norwegian often marks definiteness by adding an ending directly to the noun.

So:

• en tur = a trip
• turen = the trip

And in the compound:

• en fototur = a photo trip
• fototuren = the photo trip

This is one of the biggest differences from English. Instead of putting the before the noun, Norwegian often adds -en, -a, or -et to the noun, depending on the word.

Not necessarily. Går is the present tense of gå, which often means go or walk, but in sentences like this it can also mean that a route, tour, path, or event goes through a place.

So Fototuren går gjennom byen means that the photo trip or photo walk passes through the city or takes a route through the city.

This is a natural use of gå in Norwegian. It does not have to mean that the trip itself is physically walking as a person does.

Gjennom means through.

It is a preposition used for movement from one side or part of something to another, or for passing within an area.

Examples:

• gå gjennom skogen = go through the forest
• kjøre gjennom tunnelen = drive through the tunnel
• gå gjennom byen = go through the city

In this sentence, it tells you the route of the photo trip.

Because byen is the definite singular form of by.

• en by = a city / a town
• byen = the city / the town

So the sentence refers to a specific city or town already known from the context.

It can mean either city or town, depending on context.

So gjennom byen could be understood as:

• through the city
• through the town

In many learning materials, city is the most common translation, but town can also be correct.

Yes. Går is the present tense of gå.

Some basic forms are:

• å gå = to go / to walk
• går = goes / is going / walks
• gikk = went
• har gått = has gone / have gone

In this sentence, the present tense can describe something current, general, or scheduled, such as the route of a tour.

This is normal Norwegian main clause word order:

subject + verb + the rest

So:

• Fototuren = subject
• går = verb
• gjennom byen = prepositional phrase

This is the standard pattern in simple statements.

Yes. In Norwegian, the present tense is often used for general facts, planned events, and scheduled routes.

So the sentence can mean:

• the photo trip is currently going through the city
• the photo trip usually goes through the city
• the route of the photo trip goes through the city

The exact time sense depends on context.

Yes. Tur is a flexible word in Norwegian and can mean:

• trip
• outing
• excursion
• walk
• hike

So fototur could be translated in different ways depending on context:

• photo trip
• photography trip
• photo walk
• photography walk

English often needs a more specific choice than Norwegian does.

Yes: learning the last part of the compound helps a lot.

In fototur, the core noun is tur, and foto just describes what kind of trip it is. This pattern is extremely common in Norwegian.

For example:

• biltur = car trip
• sykkeltur = bike ride
• skoletur = school trip
• fototur = photo trip

So when you see a long compound word, it often helps to look at the last element first. That usually tells you what kind of thing it is.