Bakoverpadlingen er vanskelig.

Because Norwegian usually writes compound nouns as one word.

Here, bakoverpadlingen is built from:

• bakover = backward / backwards
• padling = paddling
• -en = the definite ending

So Norwegian joins these parts together into one compound noun: bakoverpadlingen.

This is very different from English, where learners often want to write separate words. In Norwegian, separate words can look unnatural or even change the meaning.

-en is the definite singular ending, roughly like English the.

So:

• bakoverpadling = backward paddling
• bakoverpadlingen = the backward paddling

In Norwegian, definiteness is often shown by attaching the article to the end of the noun instead of putting a separate word in front.

Both are possible, but they are used a little differently.

• Bakoverpadling er vanskelig.
  = backward paddling is difficult / paddling backwards is difficult
  This sounds more general.

• Bakoverpadlingen er vanskelig.
  = the backward paddling is difficult
  This sounds more specific, as if you are talking about a particular technique, stage, or type of paddling already known in the context.

So the sentence with -en suggests that the speaker has a particular backward-paddling technique or task in mind.

Yes. Padling is a noun made from the verb å padle = to paddle.

This is a very common pattern in Norwegian:

• å padle = to paddle
• padling = paddling

The ending -ing often makes a noun that names an action or activity, similar to English -ing in words like swimming, driving, or paddling.

Bakover means backward / backwards.

On its own, it is often an adverb:

• Han går bakover. = He walks backwards.

But in bakoverpadlingen, it is used as the first part of a compound noun and describes the type of paddling:

• bakoverpadling = backward paddling

So it tells you what kind of paddling we are talking about.

Er is the present tense of å være = to be.

The sentence structure is:

• Bakoverpadlingen = subject
• er = verb
• vanskelig = subject complement / adjective

So the pattern is simply:

Subject + verb + adjective

This is the normal word order in a basic Norwegian statement:

• Boken er interessant.
• Oppgaven er lett.
• Bakoverpadlingen er vanskelig.

Vanskelig is the adjective meaning difficult.

Here it comes after er, so it is a predicate adjective:

• Bakoverpadlingen er vanskelig.

In this sentence, the form is vanskelig.

A useful thing to know is that this adjective often looks the same in singular contexts. You will especially notice a change in the plural/definite adjective form:

• en vanskelig oppgave = a difficult task
• vanskelige oppgaver = difficult tasks

So vanskelig is the correct form here.

Yes, absolutely.

That version means:

• Å padle bakover er vanskelig. = To paddle backwards is difficult.

This is often a very natural way to express the idea, especially if you want to focus on the action itself rather than the noun bakoverpadlingen.

Compare:

• Bakoverpadlingen er vanskelig.
  More noun-based; can sound more like talking about a specific technique or part of a sport.
• Å padle bakover er vanskelig.
  More directly about the action.

Yes, that is also possible.

It is understandable and natural enough, but it is structured differently:

• Padling bakover = paddling backwards
• Bakoverpadling = backward paddling

The compound bakoverpadling is often tighter and more “noun-like,” while padling bakover feels a little more like a noun plus an adverbial description.

So all of these can work, with slightly different style or focus:

• Bakoverpadling er vanskelig.
• Bakoverpadlingen er vanskelig.
• Padling bakover er vanskelig.
• Å padle bakover er vanskelig.

The main thing for a learner is to remember that it is one long compound word, so Norwegian speakers say it as one unit.

A rough breakdown is:

• ba-ko-ver-pad-ling-en

The stress usually falls earlier in the compound than English speakers might expect, and the whole word flows together rather than being pronounced like three separate words.

You do not need perfect stress right away; the most important thing is:

• keep it as one word
• pronounce each part clearly
• avoid inserting English-style pauses between the parts

Yes. It is a very normal and useful pattern:

[noun phrase] + er + [adjective]

For example:

• Filmen er bra. = The film is good.
• Veien er lang. = The road is long.
• Bakoverpadlingen er vanskelig. = The backward paddling is difficult.

So even if the compound noun is long, the sentence structure itself is very simple and common.