Forretningsføreren forklarer årsregnskapet.

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

• forretningsfører = forretning (business) + fører (leader/manager/operator)
• årsregnskap = års- (yearly/annual) + regnskap (accounts, accounting, financial statement)

This is extremely common in Norwegian. Where English often uses several words, Norwegian often prefers one compound word.

The ending -en marks the noun as definite singular for many masculine/common-gender nouns.

So:

• en forretningsfører = a business manager / an administrator
• forretningsføreren = the business manager / the administrator

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

Because årsregnskap is a neuter noun.

So:

• et årsregnskap = an annual account / a set of annual financial statements
• årsregnskapet = the annual account / the annual financial statements

A quick pattern:

• common gender: en bil → bilen
• neuter: et hus → huset

Here, regnskap is neuter, so the definite form becomes regnskapet, and the full compound becomes årsregnskapet.

Forklarer is the present tense of å forklare (to explain).

So:

• å forklare = to explain
• forklarer = explains / is explaining
• forklarte = explained
• har forklart = has explained

In this sentence, forklarer means explains or, depending on context, is explaining.

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

Instead of saying:

• the business manager
• the annual accounts

Norwegian says:

• forretningsføreren
• årsregnskapet

The the idea is carried by the endings -en and -et.

No, this is the basic subject–verb–object order:

• Forretningsføreren = subject
• forklarer = verb
• årsregnskapet = object

So it matches normal English order quite closely:

• The business manager explains the annual accounts.

This makes it a very straightforward Norwegian sentence.

It is a real Norwegian word, but it is somewhat formal and professional.

Depending on context, forretningsfører can mean something like:

• business manager
• managing administrator
• financial administrator
• account manager in a specific administrative sense

It is often used about someone who manages practical or financial affairs for an organization, association, housing cooperative, or company. It is not usually the first word a beginner learns, but it is perfectly normal in formal/business contexts.

Års- comes from år, meaning year.

In compounds, års- often means annual or yearly.

Examples:

• årsrapport = annual report
• årsinntekt = annual income
• årsregnskap = annual accounts / annual financial statement

So årsregnskapet is literally something like the year-accounts, but naturally it means the annual accounts or the annual financial statement.

Because årsregnskapet is more specific.

• regnskapet = the accounts / the accounting / the financial statement
• årsregnskapet = the annual accounts / the annual financial statement

Adding års- tells you that this is specifically the accounting or report for a whole year.

You would remove the definite endings and use the indefinite articles:

• En forretningsfører forklarer et årsregnskap.

That means:

• A business manager explains an annual account / a set of annual accounts.

Compare:

• Forretningsføreren forklarer årsregnskapet. = The business manager explains the annual accounts.
• En forretningsfører forklarer et årsregnskap. = A business manager explains an annual account.

A learner usually does best by breaking it into parts:

• forretnings-fører-en

The main stress is typically on tret in forretning and on fø in fører, but in natural speech the whole compound flows together. The vowel ø in fører is especially important, since English does not have an exact equivalent.

A practical learning tip: first practice

• forretning
• fører
• forretningsfører
• forretningsføreren

step by step, rather than trying to say the full word immediately.

Yes. Norwegian present tense often covers both ideas:

• explains
• is explaining

So Forretningsføreren forklarer årsregnskapet can mean either:

• The business manager explains the annual accounts
• The business manager is explaining the annual accounts

The wider context tells you which is more natural.

You would normally place ikke after the verb in a main clause:

• Forretningsføreren forklarer ikke årsregnskapet.

That means:

• The business manager does not explain the annual accounts.

This is a useful pattern to remember:

• subject + verb + ikke
  • object

So:

• Han leser ikke boka.
• Læreren forklarer ikke regelen.
• Forretningsføreren forklarer ikke årsregnskapet.