Plagget er rent.

Plagget is the definite singular form of plagg, which means garment or item of clothing.

• et plagg = a garment
• plagget = the garment

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

Because the sentence is talking about the garment, Norwegian uses plagget.

Because plagg is a neuter noun in Norwegian.

That means its forms are:

• et plagg = a garment
• plagget = the garment

In Norwegian, nouns have grammatical gender, and that affects articles and adjective endings.

Because rent agrees with the noun plagget, which is neuter.

The adjective ren changes form depending on what noun it describes:

• ren for many common-gender singular nouns
• rent for neuter singular nouns
• rene for plural and often definite noun phrases

So:

• en ren skjorte = a clean shirt
• et rent plagg = a clean garment
• rene klær = clean clothes

In Plagget er rent, the adjective matches the neuter noun plagget.

Good question. After er, Norwegian uses the adjective as a predicate adjective. In that position, the adjective mainly agrees with the noun’s number and gender, not with definiteness in the same way as when it comes before a noun.

So you get:

• Plagget er rent = The garment is clean
• Huset er stort = The house is big

But before the noun, you would normally use the definite pattern:

• det rene plagget = the clean garment

So:

• before the noun: definiteness affects the adjective
• after er: use the regular agreement form, here rent

Er is the present tense of å være, which means to be.

So:

• jeg er = I am
• du er = you are
• plagget er = the garment is

In this sentence, er simply means is.

Yes, but it is a little more general or formal than some everyday clothing words.

Plagg means garment or article of clothing. It is often used when talking about clothing in a general way, in shops, fashion, laundry, or descriptions.

Depending on context, Norwegians might also use more specific words like:

• skjorte = shirt
• bukse = trousers/pants
• jakke = jacket
• klær = clothes

So plagg is natural, but somewhat broader than a specific item name.

No. Ren can also mean pure, depending on context.

For example:

• rent vann = clean/pure water
• ren bomull = pure cotton
• rommet er rent = the room is clean

In Plagget er rent, the natural meaning is clean, not pure.

That would be:

Et rent plagg.

Here the noun is indefinite:

• et plagg = a garment

And the adjective still agrees with the neuter noun:

• rent

So:

• Et rent plagg = A clean garment
• Plagget er rent = The garment is clean

You would normally say:

Plaggene er rene. = The garments are clean.

Here the forms are:

• et plagg = a garment
• plagg = garments / garment(s) in indefinite plural
• plaggene = the garments

And the adjective in the plural becomes:

• rene

So:

• Plaggene er rene.

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

subject + verb + complement

So:

• Plagget = subject
• er = verb
• rent = adjective/complement

This works just like English:

• The garment is clean.

Norwegian usually keeps this straightforward order in simple sentences.

Yes, but it means something slightly different.

• Plagget er rent = The garment is clean
  one specific garment
• Klærne er rene = The clothes are clean
  clothes in general, or several items

So both are correct, but plagget is singular and more specific.

A rough guide is:

PLAHG-get

A few notes:

• the gg is pronounced like a hard g
• the final -et is the definite ending
• the a is not like English play, but shorter and more open

Pronunciation varies a bit by dialect, but that rough version will usually be understood.