Bostedsattesten viser husnummeret.

Because Norwegian usually writes compound nouns as one word.

• bosted = residence, place of living, address
• attest = certificate

So bostedsattest is a compound noun meaning something like residence certificate or proof of residence. This is very normal in Norwegian: where English often uses two words, Norwegian often joins them.

That -s- is a linking sound/letter often used in Norwegian compounds.

So:

• bosted
  • attest
• becomes bostedsattest

This -s- does not have a separate meaning here. It just helps connect the two parts of the compound. English learners often notice this in many Norwegian words.

The ending -en marks the noun as definite singular: the residence certificate.

Compare:

• en bostedsattest = a residence certificate
• bostedsattesten = the residence certificate

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of appearing as a separate word.

Also, in compounds, the last part decides the gender and inflection. Since attest is a common-gender noun, the definite singular becomes -en.

For the same basic reason: -et marks a definite singular neuter noun.

Compare:

• et husnummer = a house number
• husnummeret = the house number

The word husnummer is neuter, so its definite ending is -et.

Again, in a compound, the final element controls the grammar. Here the final element is nummer, which is neuter.

Because Norwegian usually expresses the by adding an ending to the noun.

So instead of a separate word like English the, Norwegian often does this:

• attest → attesten
• husnummer → husnummeret

That is why Bostedsattesten viser husnummeret already includes both instances of the, even though no separate word appears.

Viser is the present tense of the verb vise.

• å vise = to show
• viser = shows / is showing

In this sentence, viser means shows. In document-related contexts, vise can also mean indicate, state, or list, depending on what sounds most natural in English.

The sentence follows the basic pattern:

subject + verb + object

• Bostedsattesten = subject
• viser = verb
• husnummeret = object

So the sentence structure is very similar to English here.

More generally, Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule, which means the finite verb usually comes in the second position. In this sentence, the subject comes first, so the order looks straightforward.

Yes, it could be indefinite, but that would change the nuance.

Current sentence:

• Bostedsattesten viser husnummeret.
• = The residence certificate shows the house number.

This sounds like a specific certificate and a specific house number.

If you wanted to speak more generally, you could say:

• En bostedsattest viser et husnummer.
• = A residence certificate shows a house number.

So the definite forms suggest that the speaker has a particular document and number in mind.

Not necessarily. Shows is a good direct translation, but depending on context, English might also use:

• shows
• indicates
• states
• lists

For example, official documents often show or list information. So viser is a flexible verb, and the best English choice depends on the situation.

Not really. It sounds fairly formal and administrative.

You are more likely to see it in:

• official letters
• applications
• government paperwork
• registration contexts

So it is a useful word, but it belongs more to official Norwegian than casual everyday conversation.