Questions & Answers about Ideen høres vanvittig ut.
Because ideen means the idea, while en idé means an idea.
Norwegian often puts definiteness on the end of the noun:
- en idé = an idea
- ideen = the idea
So the sentence is talking about a specific idea, not just any idea.
You may also sometimes see the spelling idéen. That is the same word in the definite form.
In Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the noun as a suffix instead of standing alone in front.
So:
- English: the idea
- Norwegian: ideen
A separate definite word such as den is mainly used when there is an adjective before the noun:
- ideen = the idea
- den vanvittige ideen = the crazy idea
Høres ... ut means sounds or seems, especially based on how something is described.
So Ideen høres vanvittig ut means the idea gives the impression of being crazy.
The word ut does not mean literal out here. It is part of the expression å høres ut, which works a bit like a phrasal verb.