Sakspapirene ble sendt i går.

Because Norwegian very often makes compound nouns by joining words together.

• sak = case, matter
• papirer = papers/documents
• sakspapirer = case papers / official documents for a case or meeting

This is extremely common in Norwegian, and much more frequent than writing separate words as in English.

-ene marks the noun as definite plural: the ...s.

Here is the pattern:

• et sakspapir = a case document
• sakspapiret = the case document
• sakspapirer = case documents
• sakspapirene = the case documents

So sakspapirene already includes the meaning of the, which is why Norwegian does not need a separate word for it here.

Because in Norwegian, definiteness is usually built into the noun ending.

So instead of saying something like the sakspapirene, Norwegian just says:

• sakspapirene = the documents

A separate definite word is mainly used when there is an adjective:

• de viktige sakspapirene = the important case documents

Without an adjective, the ending alone is enough.

Ble sendt is the past passive.

• ble = past tense of bli (become, but also used to form the passive)
• sendt = past participle of sende (sent)

So:

• sendte = sent, active
  
  • De sendte sakspapirene. = They sent the documents.
• ble sendt = were sent, passive
  
  • Sakspapirene ble sendt. = The documents were sent.

In this sentence, the focus is on what happened to the documents, not on who sent them.

Because ble sendt usually describes the event: the documents were sent.

• Sakspapirene ble sendt i går.
  = The sending happened yesterday.

By contrast, var sendt often sounds more like a resulting state or something completed before another point in time:

• Sakspapirene var sendt før møtet startet.
  = The documents had been sent before the meeting started.

So in your sentence, ble sendt is the natural choice because it refers to the action taking place yesterday.

No. They are related, but they do different jobs.

• sendte = past tense of the verb sende
• sendt = past participle

Compare:

• Hun sendte brevet. = She sent the letter.
• Brevet ble sendt. = The letter was sent.

So in Sakspapirene ble sendt i går, sendt is used because it is part of a passive construction.

Because Norwegian, like English, often leaves out the agent in passive sentences when it is unknown, obvious, or unimportant.

• Sakspapirene ble sendt i går.
  = The documents were sent yesterday.

If you want to say who sent them, you can add av:

• Sakspapirene ble sendt av sekretæren.
  = The documents were sent by the secretary.

But in many real sentences, Norwegian does not mention the sender.

That is a very normal place for a time expression in Norwegian.

The basic order here is:

• Sakspapirene = subject
• ble sendt = verb phrase
• i går = time expression

So:

• Sakspapirene ble sendt i går.

But Norwegian also allows other word orders, especially if you want to emphasize time:

• I går ble sakspapirene sendt.

That version is also correct. When i går comes first, the finite verb ble must come second. This is the normal V2 word order rule in Norwegian main clauses.

Yes, absolutely.

Both are correct:

• Sakspapirene ble sendt i går.
• I går ble sakspapirene sendt.

The difference is mainly emphasis:

• Sakspapirene ble sendt i går = neutral statement
• I går ble sakspapirene sendt = stronger focus on yesterday

This is a good example of Norwegian’s verb-second rule: if you move i går to the front, ble still has to stay in second position.

Sakspapir is neuter:

• et sakspapir

A useful clue is that it is a compound ending in papir, and the last part of a compound determines the gender in Norwegian.

Since papir is neuter:

• et papir
• et sakspapir

That is why you get forms like:

• sakspapiret = the case document
• sakspapirene = the case documents

Usually the safest translation is were sent, but in some contexts ble-passives can feel a bit like English got-passives, especially when focusing on something happening.

So:

• Sakspapirene ble sendt i går.

most naturally means:

• The documents were sent yesterday.

But the sense of something happened to them can sometimes be a little stronger than in English were sent. In this sentence, though, were sent is the best normal translation.

It sounds fairly neutral and natural, especially in administrative, workplace, or official contexts.

The word sakspapirene is a bit formal because it refers to official documents, agenda papers, or case documents. But the grammar of the sentence itself is completely standard and everyday Norwegian.

So the sentence would fit well in contexts like:

• office communication
• meeting minutes
• municipal administration
• email updates about documents or paperwork