Løsningen var praktisk.

Because -en is the definite article attached to the noun.

• en løsning = a solution
• løsningen = the solution

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like the in English.

Since løsning is a common-gender noun, its definite singular form is løsningen.

The base form is løsning.

Its forms are:

• en løsning = indefinite singular
• løsningen = definite singular
• løsninger = indefinite plural
• løsningene = definite plural

So in this sentence, you are seeing the definite singular form.

Var is the past tense of å være (to be).

• er = is / am / are (present)
• var = was / were (past)

So:

• Løsningen er praktisk. = present
• Løsningen var praktisk. = past

Here, praktisk is used as a predicative adjective—that means it comes after the verb var and describes the subject.

In Norwegian, predicative adjectives often stay in their basic form, but they must still agree with the noun in gender/number when necessary. Here the subject is løsningen, and løsning is a common-gender singular noun, so praktisk is the correct form.

Compare:

• En løsning er praktisk.
• Løsningen var praktisk.

But with a neuter noun, you would often see -t:

• Et tiltak var praktisk.

And with plural/definite plural, often -e:

• Løsningene var praktiske.

Because this sentence follows a very common pattern:

subject + verb + adjective

So:

• Løsningen = subject
• var = verb
• praktisk = adjective describing the subject

This is normal in both Norwegian and English:

• The solution was practical.

If the adjective comes before the noun, it works differently:

• den praktiske løsningen = the practical solution

So the position of the adjective changes the structure.

Yes, but that is not the same sentence structure.

• Løsningen var praktisk. = The solution was practical.
• Den praktiske løsningen = The practical solution.

In den praktiske løsningen, the adjective comes before the noun, so it is an attributive adjective. In that position, Norwegian usually needs both:

1. a separate definite article: den
2. the noun in definite form: løsningen

That is why you get den praktiske løsningen, not just praktiske løsningen in standard Bokmål.

Because Norwegian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun.

So instead of a separate word like English the, Norwegian often uses an ending:

• en bok = a book
• boken = the book

The same thing happens here:

• en løsning = a solution
• løsningen = the solution

A separate word like den is mainly added when there is an adjective before the noun:

• den praktiske løsningen

A learner will often notice two tricky parts:

• ø
• the ending -ngen

A rough guide:

• lø has the vowel ø, which does not exist in standard English. It is somewhat similar to the vowel in French deux or German schön.
• -sning has the ng sound like in English sing
• -en at the end is often pronounced lightly

A rough approximation for English speakers might be something like LURS-ning-en, but that is only approximate. The real Norwegian ø is important to learn by listening.

In Bokmål, løsning is usually treated as a common-gender noun, so you commonly see:

• en løsning
• løsningen

Some nouns in Norwegian can also be feminine in some varieties, but learners will most often meet en løsning / løsningen in standard Bokmål.

Yes. In many dialects, in Nynorsk, and sometimes in less conservative Bokmål, you may see or hear:

• løsninga

That is a feminine definite singular form.

So you may encounter both:

• løsningen
• løsninga

For a learner of standard Bokmål, løsningen is the safest form to use unless you are specifically learning feminine noun patterns too.

In a normal statement, Løsningen var praktisk is the natural order.

Norwegian main clauses usually follow the verb-second rule, but when the subject comes first, the result looks very similar to English:

• Løsningen var praktisk.

You can change the order for emphasis, but then something else must come first and the verb still stays in second position:

• I går var løsningen praktisk. = Yesterday, the solution was practical.

You would not normally say Løsningen praktisk var.

This sentence is standard Bokmål.

In Nynorsk, you might more naturally see:

• Løysinga var praktisk.

The differences are mainly:

• løsning → løysing
• løsningen → løysinga

The rest of the sentence structure is the same.