Svaret er ment bokstavelig.

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

• svar = answer / an answer
• svaret = the answer

Norwegian often puts the definite article at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like the in English.

So:

• Et svar = an answer
• Svaret = the answer

In this sentence, the speaker is talking about a specific answer, so svaret is used.

Ment is the past participle of å mene.

The verb å mene can mean things like:

• to mean
• to intend
• to think / to be of the opinion

In er ment, it has the sense of is meant / is intended.

So ment is not acting like a simple past tense verb here. It is part of the construction:

• er + past participle

which often works like an English passive or passive-like expression.

Both are possible in Norwegian, but they are a bit different in style and feel.

• Svaret er ment bokstavelig.
• Svaret menes bokstavelig.

The version with er ment is very natural and common. It often feels a little more like is intended / is meant as a state or interpretation.

The version with menes is also possible, but it can sound more formal or less common in everyday speech, depending on context.

For many learners, it is safest to understand er ment as the normal, useful pattern here.

Yes, effectively it works like a passive-style construction.

Compare:

• Active: Noen mener svaret bokstavelig.
  = Someone means the answer literally.
  (This is not a very natural sentence, but it shows the structure.)

• Passive-like: Svaret er ment bokstavelig.
  = The answer is meant literally.

The important idea is that Norwegian often uses:

• å være + past participle

to express something like an English passive.

Here, the sentence does not say who means it literally. That is left unspecified.

Because it modifies the whole idea of how the answer is meant.

So the structure is roughly:

• Svaret = subject
• er ment = verbal/passive part
• bokstavelig = describes the manner/interpretation

This placement is very natural in Norwegian. It is similar to English:

• The answer is meant literally.

You could move things around in some contexts for emphasis, but the given word order is the neutral, straightforward one.

Here it functions adverbially.

Even though bokstavelig is also an adjective in other contexts, in this sentence it tells us in what way the answer is meant:

• literally

That is why it behaves like an adverb in English translation.

Norwegian often uses a form that looks like the adjective form in adverb-like use, especially with words ending in -ig, -lig, etc.

Because many Norwegian words ending in -ig do not add -t in the neuter/adverbial form.

For example:

• viktig
• vanlig
• bokstavelig

These often keep the same form.

So bokstavelig is the expected form here.

This can be confusing for English speakers, because learners are often taught that adverbs are made with -t, but that is not true for all adjectives. Some take -t, while others do not.

Yes. The core sense of ment is closer to meant / intended.

So Svaret er ment bokstavelig most directly says that the answer is intended to be taken literally.

In practice, that naturally leads to the idea that it should be understood literally, but grammatically the focus is on the speaker’s intention rather than on the listener’s interpretation.

The sentence leaves that unsaid on purpose.

This is very common in passive constructions. Norwegian, like English, often omits the agent when it is:

• obvious
• unimportant
• unknown
• not the focus

So Svaret er ment bokstavelig does not tell us who means it literally. It could be:

• the speaker
• the writer
• the person who gave the answer

The sentence only focuses on the answer itself.

Yes, that can be possible, but it may sound a bit marked or stylistically different.

• Svaret er ment bokstavelig = the most neutral wording
• Svaret er bokstavelig ment = puts bokstavelig closer to ment, which can add a slightly different emphasis

In many cases, the first version is the safer and more natural one for learners.

It is mostly neutral.

It does not sound slangy, but it is also not especially stiff or literary. It would fit well in:

• explanations
• written comments
• discussions about wording
• clarification messages

If you wanted something more conversational, people might also say things like:

• Svaret skal forstås bokstavelig.
• Svaret er bokstavelig ment.

But the original sentence is perfectly normal and clear.

Yes.

A very common expression is:

• bokstavelig talt = literally speaking

That phrase is often used when clarifying that something is not figurative.

But in your sentence, just bokstavelig is enough, because it directly modifies er ment.

So:

• Svaret er ment bokstavelig.
  = natural and complete

You do not need talt here.

The pattern is:

• Subject + verb + participle + adverbial

Breaking it down:

• Svaret = subject
• er = present tense of å være
• ment = past participle
• bokstavelig = adverbial complement

This is a useful pattern to recognize, because Norwegian often builds passive-like meanings this way:

• Døren er lukket. = The door is closed.
• Det er sagt før. = It has been said before.
• Svaret er ment bokstavelig. = The answer is meant literally.