Varslingen begynner i dag fordi meldeplikten fortsatt gjelder.

Because they are in the definite singular form: the warning/notification and the reporting obligation.

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like English the.

• en varsling = a warning / a notification

• varslingen = the warning / the notification

• en meldeplikt = a duty to report
• meldeplikten = the duty to report

This is very normal in Norwegian.

It is a noun, not a verb.

The base word is varsling, which can mean something like:

• warning
• notification
• alerting
• reporting/notice process

So Varslingen begynner i dag means The warning/notification/reporting starts today, depending on context.

A learner might expect something more verb-like because English often uses verbs where Norwegian uses nouns.

Meldeplikt is a compound noun, which is extremely common in Norwegian.

It is made from:

• melde = to report / to notify
• plikt = duty / obligation

So meldeplikt literally means reporting duty, or more naturally in English, an obligation to report.

Then meldeplikten means the obligation to report.

Norwegian often uses the present tense in places where English might also use present tense, especially for something that is true now or starts now.

• begynner = begins / is beginning / starts
• gjelder = applies / is valid / is in effect

So:

• Varslingen begynner i dag = The notification starts today
• meldeplikten fortsatt gjelder = the reporting obligation still applies

This is completely normal Norwegian usage.

Gjelder comes from å gjelde, which often means:

• to apply
• to be valid
• to be in force
• to concern

In this sentence, gjelder is best understood as:

• still applies
• is still in effect
• is still valid

So meldeplikten fortsatt gjelder means that the duty to report has not ended.

Because fordi introduces a subordinate clause, and subordinate clauses usually have different word order in Norwegian.

Main clause:

• Varslingen begynner i dag
  • subject + verb + other elements

Subordinate clause after fordi:

• fordi meldeplikten fortsatt gjelder
  • subject + adverb + verb

That placement of fortsatt before gjelder is very typical in subordinate clauses.

Compare:

• Main clause: Meldeplikten gjelder fortsatt.
• Subordinate clause: ... fordi meldeplikten fortsatt gjelder.

This is one of the most important word-order patterns in Norwegian.

Fortsatt means still.

Yes, in many contexts you could also use fremdeles, and the meaning would be very similar.

• meldeplikten fortsatt gjelder
• meldeplikten fremdeles gjelder

Both mean the reporting obligation still applies.

In everyday Norwegian, fortsatt is very common.

Because Norwegian usually marks definiteness by attaching the article to the noun.

So instead of:

• the warning
• the reporting obligation

Norwegian usually says:

• varslingen
• meldeplikten

This is one of the first big differences English speakers notice.

Very often:

• en bok = a book
• boken / boka = the book

The same pattern is happening here.

Yes, literally it looks like in day, but i dag is just the normal Norwegian expression for today.

Examples:

• Jeg reiser i dag. = I’m leaving today.
• Det begynner i dag. = It starts today.

So you should learn i dag as a fixed everyday expression.

Yes. Fordi is the standard everyday word for because.

Examples:

• Jeg er hjemme fordi jeg er syk.
• Hun dro fordi det var sent.

In your sentence:

• ... fordi meldeplikten fortsatt gjelder
• ... because the reporting obligation still applies

It is one of the most common conjunctions in Norwegian.

Yes, but it would change the meaning slightly.

• varsling = warning/notification/reporting in a more general sense
• varslingen = the specific warning/notification/reporting being talked about

So:

• Varsling begynner i dag would sound more general or institutional, depending on context.
• Varslingen begynner i dag points to a specific process or system already known from the context.

In this sentence, the definite form suggests that the speaker and listener already know which warning/notification/reporting is meant.

Yes, very much so.

Norwegian often packs a lot of meaning into compact nouns, especially in official, legal, or administrative language.

Here you have:

• varsling = warning / notification / reporting
• meldeplikt = obligation to report

This kind of style is very common in formal Norwegian. English often prefers longer phrases, while Norwegian is comfortable using compact nouns and compounds.

That means official sentences can look dense at first, even when the grammar is not especially difficult.

Because in Norwegian, you normally do not put a comma before a subordinate clause introduced by fordi when it comes after the main clause.

So this is standard:

• Varslingen begynner i dag fordi meldeplikten fortsatt gjelder.

A comma would usually not be used here.

This differs a bit from how some English writers punctuate similar sentences, so it is a useful thing to notice.