Så vidt jeg kan se, er overgangstiden kort.

Here, så vidt is part of the fixed expression så vidt jeg kan se, which means as far as I can see or as far as I can tell. It introduces the speaker’s judgment in a cautious, non-absolute way.

It is best to learn så vidt jeg kan se as a whole chunk, rather than trying to translate each word separately.

No. Så vidt can also mean barely or just in other contexts.

For example: Jeg rakk så vidt bussen = I just barely caught the bus.

So the meaning depends on the structure around it. In så vidt jeg kan se, it has the as far as I can see meaning.

Because jeg kan se is part of the introductory expression så vidt jeg kan se, which behaves like an embedded or subordinate-style clause. In that kind of clause, Norwegian normally keeps subject + verb order:

jeg kan se

The inversion happens in the main clause after the comma: er overgangstiden kort

So the sentence is divided like this:

Så vidt jeg kan se = introductory clause
er overgangstiden kort = main clause

This is because of the Norwegian V2 rule. In a main clause, the finite verb usually comes second.

If the sentence started directly with the subject, you would get:

Overgangstiden er kort

But here, the sentence starts with the introductory element Så vidt jeg kan se. Once that comes first, the finite verb of the main clause must come next:

Så vidt jeg kan se, er overgangstiden kort

So this is standard Norwegian word order.

Because the sentence begins with an introductory clause-like element: Så vidt jeg kan se. In Norwegian, it is normal to put a comma before the main clause when this kind of opener comes first.

So the comma helps mark the boundary between:

Så vidt jeg kan se
and
er overgangstiden kort

It is a compound noun:

• overgang = transition
• tid = time / period

Together, overgangstid means transition period.

Then -en is added to make it definite singular:

• overgangstid = transition period
• overgangstiden = the transition period

Because the sentence is referring to a specific transition period, one that is already understood from the context.

• overgangstiden = the transition period
• en overgangstid = a transition period

Using the definite form suggests that both speaker and listener know which period is being discussed.

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun.

So instead of a separate word like English the, Norwegian often uses a suffix:

• tid = period / time
• tiden = the period / the time

That is why overgangstiden already includes the meaning of the transition period.

Kan se makes the statement sound more cautious and judgment-based. It means something like am able to see / can tell / can judge.

So så vidt jeg kan se is a very natural way to say as far as I can see.

If you said så vidt jeg ser, it could be understood, but så vidt jeg kan se is the more idiomatic and usual expression for giving an opinion based on what you know.

Yes. In modern standard Norwegian, this expression is normally written as så vidt, as two words.

So in this sentence, Så vidt jeg kan se is the standard spelling.

Because kort is a predicate adjective after er, and here the noun is singular.

In this sentence: overgangstiden er kort

kort is the correct form.

It may help to compare:

• en kort overgangstid = a short transition period
• overgangstiden er kort = the transition period is short
• korte overgangstider = short transition periods

Even though overgangstiden is definite, the predicate adjective after er does not become korte just because the noun is definite.

Yes, in Bokmål that is possible. The noun tid can often be treated as feminine, so both of these may occur:

• overgangstiden
• overgangstida

The -en form is often felt to be more neutral or common in formal writing, while -a can sound more colloquial or dialect-friendly. Both are normal depending on style and variety of Norwegian.