Motlyset er kraftig.

to be

Breakdown of Motlyset er kraftig.

• kraftig: powerful; strong
• motlyset: the backlight

Questions & Answers about Motlyset er kraftig.

Why is motlyset written as one word?

Because Norwegian usually writes compound nouns as a single word.
Here, motlys is a compound made from:

• mot = against / toward
• lys = light

So motlys is a fixed noun meaning backlight, glare, or light coming from the front/against you depending on context. When it becomes definite, you get motlyset.

Why does the word end in -et?

The -et is the definite ending for a singular neuter noun in Bokmål.

So the pattern is:

• et motlys = a backlight / a glare
• motlyset = the backlight / the glare

This is very common in Norwegian. Instead of usually adding a separate word like English the, Norwegian often adds the definite article to the end of the noun.

What gender is motlys?

Motlys is a neuter noun, which is why you say:

• et motlys
• motlyset

That neuter gender also helps explain other grammar around the noun.

Why is it er?