Diagonalgangen er vanskelig nå.

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

• diagonalgang = diagonal stride / diagonal movement
• diagonalgangen = the diagonal stride / movement

So -en is the definite ending for a singular masculine or feminine/common-gender noun in Bokmål.

In Norwegian, definiteness is often expressed with a suffix on the noun.

Compare:

• en gang = a walk / a movement
• gangen = the walk / the movement

So instead of saying something like the diagonalgang, Norwegian says diagonalgangen.

This is one of the biggest structural differences from English.

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

So:

• å være = to be
• er = am / is / are

In this sentence, er links the subject (diagonalgangen) to the description (vanskelig), just like is in English.

Here vanskelig is used predicatively, meaning it comes after er and describes the subject.

In Norwegian, adjectives can change form depending on gender, number, and whether they come before the noun or after a linking verb.

Here the subject is a singular common-gender noun, so the basic form vanskelig is correct:

• Diagonalgangen er vanskelig.

If the noun were neuter singular, you would often get -t:

• Løpet er vanskelig.
  (common gender → basic form)
• Rennet er vanskelig.
  Actually vanskelig stays the same because adjectives ending in -ig often do not add -t in everyday Bokmål.

So vanskelig is the normal form here.

Nå means now.

It tells you that the difficulty is true at this moment or in the current situation.

So the sentence is not necessarily saying the diagonal stride is always difficult—just that it is difficult now.

That is a very natural position in Norwegian.

The sentence follows a simple pattern:

• Subject
  • verb
    • adjective/complement
      • time word

So:

• Diagonalgangen
  • er
    • vanskelig
      • nå

Putting nå at the end sounds normal and neutral. Norwegian often places short time adverbs like this after the main descriptive part of the sentence.

Yes, in this sentence it is very similar.

• Diagonalgangen = subject
• er = verb
• vanskelig = subject complement
• nå = adverb

So the structure is:

• The diagonal stride is difficult now.

This is a straightforward subject–verb–complement–adverb sentence.

It is Bokmål.

Clues:

• vanskelig is Bokmål
• nå is Bokmål

In Nynorsk, you would more likely see:

• Diagonalgangen er vanskeleg no.

So this exact sentence belongs to standard Bokmål.

Yes, depending on meaning.

• Diagonalgangen er vanskelig nå. = a specific diagonal stride / the diagonal stride is difficult now
• Diagonalgang er vanskelig. = diagonal stride as an activity or technique is difficult

Norwegian often uses a bare noun when talking about an activity or concept in general. Adding -en makes it more specific.

So the definite form here suggests you are talking about a particular instance, situation, or the technique as something already known in context.

A rough guide is:

• Diagonalgangen ≈ dee-ah-go-NAHL-gang-en
• er ≈ air / ehr (often very short in real speech)
• vanskelig ≈ VAHN-skeh-lee
• nå ≈ noh

A more important thing than perfect sounds is the rhythm:

• Diagonalgangen er vanskelig nå.

In natural speech, er is often reduced and unstressed.

Not in all contexts. It is more specialized and is especially associated with skiing, where diagonalgang refers to the diagonal stride technique in classic cross-country skiing.

So a learner might not meet this word early unless the topic is sports, skiing, or movement technique.

But grammatically, it behaves like an ordinary Norwegian noun:

• diagonalgang
• diagonalgangen

Sometimes yes, but the given order is the most neutral.

For example, in a larger sentence you might move nå earlier for emphasis, but:

• Diagonalgangen er vanskelig nå.

is the plain, natural version.

Norwegian does allow movement of adverbs, but beginners should treat the original order as the safest default.