Avisen beskriver rettssaken.

In Norwegian, the is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of standing as a separate word.

So:

• avis = newspaper
• avisen = the newspaper

and

• rettssak = trial / court case
• rettssaken = the trial / the court case

This is one of the biggest differences from English. In a simple noun phrase, Norwegian often uses just the noun with a definite ending, not a separate word like the.

Because avis is a feminine noun in Bokmål, but Bokmål often allows two patterns for many feminine nouns:

• feminine form: avisa
• common/masculine-style form: avisen

Both can be correct in Bokmål. The sentence uses avisen, which is very common.

The same thing can happen with rettssak:

• rettssaka
• rettssaken

So this sentence is using a style that prefers -en rather than -a.

Beskriver is the present tense of beskrive.

• å beskrive = to describe
• beskriver = describes / is describing

In Norwegian, the present tense is used for all persons:

• jeg beskriver
• du beskriver
• han/hun beskriver
• vi beskriver

So unlike English, the verb does not change depending on whether the subject is I, you, or the newspaper.

Because å is used with the infinitive, not with a finite verb in a normal sentence.

• å beskrive = to describe
• beskriver = describes

So:

• Avisen beskriver rettssaken. = a full sentence with a present-tense verb
• å beskrive rettssaken = the infinitive phrase to describe the trial

A common English-speaking learner mistake is to expect å before every verb, but Norwegian only uses it where English uses to.

Mostly from word order.

In this sentence, the pattern is:

subject + verb + object

• Avisen = subject
• beskriver = verb
• rettssaken = object

So the sentence means that the newspaper is doing the describing, and the trial is what is being described.

Norwegian does not usually mark nouns with special case endings the way German does. Instead, word order is very important.

Yes, in this sentence it is very similar to English:

• Avisen beskriver rettssaken.
• The newspaper describes the trial.

But Norwegian has an important rule called V2 word order in main clauses: the finite verb usually comes in the second position.

That means if you move something else to the front, the verb still stays second:

• I dag beskriver avisen rettssaken. = Today, the newspaper describes the trial.

So the basic sentence looks English-like, but Norwegian word order becomes more obviously different when another element comes first.

Because Norwegian very often forms compound nouns as a single word.

Rettssak is made from parts that are connected into one noun, and then the definite ending is added:

• rettssak = trial / court case
• rettssaken = the trial / the court case

English often writes similar ideas as separate words, but Norwegian usually combines them.

This is very normal in Norwegian, and learners need to get used to long one-word compounds.

This comes from how the compound is formed.

The word is built with a linking s, so when the parts come together, you get ss in spelling:

• retts-
  • sak → rettssak

Then the definite ending is added:

• rettssak → rettssaken

So the double s is not random; it is part of the compound structure.

It is active.

The subject, avisen, performs the action:

• Avisen beskriver rettssaken.

A passive version would be something like:

• Rettssaken beskrives av avisen.
• Rettssaken blir beskrevet av avisen.

So the original sentence is the straightforward active form.

You would remove the definite endings and use indefinite articles where needed:

• En avis beskriver en rettssak.

Because these nouns can be feminine in Bokmål, you may also see:

• Ei avis beskriver ei rettssak.

So the contrast is:

• avisen = the newspaper
• en avis / ei avis = a newspaper

and

• rettssaken = the trial
• en rettssak / ei rettssak = a trial

Not in the same simple way.

In ordinary Norwegian, if you just mean the newspaper, you normally say avisen, not den avisen.

Den avisen usually has a more specific or contrastive meaning, like:

• that newspaper
• that particular newspaper

Also, when an adjective is added, Norwegian often uses double definiteness:

• den store avisen = the big newspaper

But with no adjective and no special emphasis, avisen is the normal form.