Eplet er råttent.

Because -et is the definite ending for many neuter nouns in Norwegian.

• et eple = an apple
• eplet = the apple

So eplet er råttent literally means the apple is rotten.

Unlike English, Norwegian often puts the at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word.

You know from its article in the indefinite form:

• et eple = an apple

In Norwegian, nouns have grammatical gender, and one common sign of a neuter noun is that it takes et in the indefinite singular.

That matters because the adjective has to match the noun’s gender and number.

Because adjectives in Norwegian change form to agree with the noun.

The basic form is often listed as råtten, but with a neuter singular noun like et eple, the adjective takes -t:

• en råtten banan = a rotten banana
• et råttent eple = a rotten apple

In this sentence, the same agreement happens after er:

• Eplet er råttent = The apple is rotten

So råttent is the correct neuter singular form.

This is just how that adjective is spelled when it takes the neuter ending.

Many adjectives add -t in the neuter:

• fin → fint
• stor → stort

But some adjectives already end in sounds or letters that make the spelling look a little different.
With råtten, the neuter form is råttent.

So it is not random, but it is something you mainly learn as part of the adjective’s pattern.

Yes. Er is the present tense of å være (to be).

Examples:

• Jeg er trøtt. = I am tired.
• Hun er hjemme. = She is at home.
• Eplet er råttent. = The apple is rotten.

So in this sentence, er works just like is.

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

subject + verb + complement

• Eplet = subject
• er = verb
• råttent = adjective describing the subject

So the structure is very similar to English:

• The apple is rotten.

Yes, but it means something slightly different.

• Eplet er råttent = The apple is rotten
• Det eplet er råttent = That apple is rotten

Adding det points to a specific apple, like English that.

So both are correct, but they are used in different situations.

Yes. You can use the adjective both before the noun and after er.

Before the noun:

• et råttent eple = a rotten apple

After the verb:

• Eplet er råttent = The apple is rotten

This is similar to English:

• a rotten apple
• the apple is rotten

In the plural, the adjective usually takes -e.

• epler = apples
• råtne = rotten

So:

• Eplene er råtne. = The apples are rotten.
• Råtne epler = rotten apples

Notice that both the noun and adjective change in the plural.

A rough guide is:

• eplet ≈ EP-leh
• råttent ≈ ROT-ent or RAWT-ent, depending on how you approximate the Norwegian sounds

A few helpful notes:

• The t at the end of eplet is usually light and clear.
• The å in råttent is a long vowel sound that does not match English perfectly.
• The double consonants in spelling often show that the vowel before them is short.

If you want to sound natural, it is best to hear native audio and repeat it.

Yes, it is completely natural.

It is a simple, standard sentence that shows several important basics:

• a definite noun: eplet
• the present tense of to be: er
• adjective agreement with a neuter noun: råttent

So it is a very useful example sentence for beginners.