Kodeordet er enkelt.

Because Norwegian usually writes compound nouns as a single word.

Here, kodeordet is made up of:

• kode = code
• ord = word
• -et = the definite ending

So the structure is basically:

kode + ord + et = kodeordet

This is very normal in Norwegian. English often uses two words where Norwegian uses one.

The ending -et is the definite article for a neuter singular noun.

In English, you say the codeword with a separate word, the.
In Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun:

• et kodeord = a codeword
• kodeordet = the codeword

So -et means the here.

Because kodeord is a neuter noun in Norwegian.

A very useful clue is that the second part of a compound often determines the gender. The head of this compound is ord, and ord is neuter:

• et ord = a word

So the compound is also neuter:

• et kodeord
• kodeordet

This pattern is very common in Norwegian compounds.

Because enkel is the basic form of the adjective, and enkelt is the form used with a neuter singular noun.

Since kodeord is neuter, the adjective changes:

• en enkel kode = a simple code
• et enkelt kodeord = a simple codeword

In your sentence, the adjective comes after er, but it still agrees with the noun’s gender:

• Kodeordet er enkelt.

So the -t is there because kodeordet is neuter singular.

Because after er, the adjective is predicative rather than directly attached before the noun.

Norwegian adjectives behave differently in these two positions:

• det enkle kodeordet = the simple codeword
  
  • here the adjective stands before the noun
• Kodeordet er enkelt = the codeword is simple
  
  • here the adjective comes after er

In the second pattern, the adjective agrees with gender and number, but not with definiteness in the same way. So enkelt is correct.

It is an adjective here.

A common reason for confusion is that the -t form can also look like an adverb in other sentences. But in this sentence, enkelt describes kodeordet, so it is an adjective.

A good test is this:

• Kodeordet er enkelt.
  Here enkelt tells you something about the noun kodeordet.

So it functions as a predicate adjective after er.

Because Norwegian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English does.

Compare:

• English: the codeword
• Norwegian: kodeordet

You only get an extra word like det in some structures, especially when there is an adjective before the noun:

• kodeordet = the codeword
• det enkle kodeordet = the simple codeword

So in your sentence, kodeordet already contains the meaning of the.

The word order is the normal Norwegian main-clause pattern:

subject + verb + complement

So:

• Kodeordet = subject
• er = verb
• enkelt = complement

This is very similar to English:

• The codeword is simple.

Norwegian main clauses also follow the verb-second rule, so the finite verb usually comes in the second position.

Then both the noun and the adjective would change:

• Kodeordene er enkle. = The codewords are simple.

Compare:

• singular: Kodeordet er enkelt.
• plural: Kodeordene er enkle.

So the adjective changes like this:

• enkel = common gender singular
• enkelt = neuter singular
• enkle = plural

Pronunciation varies by dialect, but a rough approximation is:

KOO-deh-or-deh er ENG-kelt

A few helpful points:

• kodeordet has the main stress near the beginning
• er is often said very lightly in normal speech
• enkelt usually has a clear final t

If you listen to native speakers, you may notice that the exact sounds change by region, but the spelling and grammar stay the same.