Katten sniker seg under bordet.

Because Norwegian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun.

• en katt = a cat
• katten = the cat
• et bord = a table
• bordet = the table

So in this sentence, katten and bordet already include the meaning of the.

That depends on the noun’s grammatical gender.

• katt is a common-gender noun: en katt → katten
• bord is a neuter noun: et bord → bordet

So the definite ending changes with gender:

• common gender: often -en
• neuter: often -et

Sniker seg means something like sneaks, slips quietly, or moves stealthily.

The basic verb is å snike seg. It often suggests:

• moving quietly
• trying not to be noticed
• a slightly secretive or careful movement

So the sentence gives a stronger image than just goes under the table.

Because å snike seg is the normal expression here. The verb is commonly used reflexively when the subject itself is moving.

So:

• Katten sniker seg under bordet = natural
• Katten sniker under bordet = sounds incomplete or unnatural for this meaning

In other words, seg is not just extra — it is part of how this verb is usually used in this kind of sentence.

It refers back to the subject, katten.

So seg means itself / himself / herself / themselves, depending on the subject. Here it means the cat is sneaking itself under the table.

English usually does not say The cat sneaks itself under the table, but Norwegian often uses the reflexive pronoun where English would not.

Sniker is present tense.

The infinitive is å snike seg, and the present tense is sniker seg.

In Norwegian, the present tense can often mean either:

• sneaks
• is sneaking

So this sentence could describe:

• a general habit, depending on context
• something happening right now

Because in a normal main clause, Norwegian usually follows this pattern:

subject + finite verb + other elements

So here:

• Katten = subject
• sniker = finite verb
• seg = reflexive pronoun
• under bordet = prepositional phrase

That makes Katten sniker seg under bordet the normal word order.

Yes. That is possible.

If you move under bordet to the front for emphasis, Norwegian still keeps the verb in second position:

• Katten sniker seg under bordet
• Under bordet sniker katten seg

This is a very important Norwegian rule, often called the V2 rule.

The second version puts more focus on where the action happens.

In this sentence, it most naturally suggests movement: the cat is sneaking to a position under the table.

That is because å snike seg already implies motion.

Unlike some languages, Norwegian does not change the form of under to show motion versus location here. The meaning usually comes from the verb and the context.

So:

• Katten er under bordet = the cat is under the table
• Katten sniker seg under bordet = the cat sneaks under the table

Yes, but the meaning changes from definite to indefinite.

• Katten sniker seg under bordet = The cat sneaks under the table
• En katt sniker seg under et bord = A cat sneaks under a table

The original sentence sounds like both the cat and the table are known or identifiable in the situation.

The verbs give different pictures:

• sniker seg = sneaks, moves quietly and secretly
• går = goes/walks, neutral
• kryper = crawls, focuses on the physical movement

So Katten sniker seg under bordet emphasizes the cat’s stealthy behavior, not just the fact that it moves under the table.