Arkivkopien lages fra masterfilen.

Because both nouns are in the definite singular form.

• arkivkopi = archive copy / archival copy
• arkivkopien = the archive copy
• masterfil = master file
• masterfilen = the master file

In Norwegian, definiteness is usually shown by adding an ending to the noun, instead of using a separate word like the.

So:

• en arkivkopi = an archive copy
• arkivkopien = the archive copy

and

• en masterfil = a master file
• masterfilen = the master file

Yes. Arkivkopien is a compound noun plus a definite ending:

• arkiv = archive
• kopi = copy
• arkivkopi = archive copy
• arkivkopien = the archive copy

Norwegian very often combines nouns into a single word where English would often use two words. So a learner should get used to things like:

• bokhylle = bookshelf
• datamaskin = computer
• masterfil = master file

So arkivkopien is completely normal Norwegian word formation.

Because lages is a passive form.

• lager = makes / is making
• lages = is made / is being made

So the sentence focuses on the thing being produced, not on who produces it.

Compare:

• Systemet lager arkivkopien. = The system makes the archive copy.
• Arkivkopien lages fra masterfilen. = The archive copy is made from the master file.

This -s passive is very common in Norwegian, especially in technical, formal, and instructional language.

Yes. That is also a correct passive construction.

There are two common ways to form the passive in Norwegian:

• -s passive: lages
• bli + past participle: blir laget

So these are both possible:

• Arkivkopien lages fra masterfilen.
• Arkivkopien blir laget fra masterfilen.

The -s passive often sounds a bit more concise, impersonal, and typical of technical or formal descriptions. In a sentence like this, lages is very natural.

Fra means from, and here it marks the source.

So fra masterfilen means that the archive copy is created using the master file as its source.

That is different from av, which often means:

• by an agent
  
  • Boken ble skrevet av Ibsen. = The book was written by Ibsen.
• sometimes of / made of, depending on context
  
  • laget av tre = made of wood

In this sentence, the important idea is source material or source file, so fra is the natural choice.

Yes. It follows standard main-clause word order:

• Arkivkopien = subject
• lages = finite verb
• fra masterfilen = prepositional phrase

So the pattern is basically:

Subject + verb + other information

That is the most neutral order in a simple statement.

You could rearrange parts for emphasis, but the given sentence is the normal, straightforward version.

Because Norwegian usually marks definiteness by attaching it to the noun itself.

English:

• the archive copy
• the master file

Norwegian:

• arkivkopien
• masterfilen

This is one of the big structural differences between English and Norwegian.

However, when there is an adjective, Norwegian often uses double definiteness:

• den store masterfilen = the large master file

Here you get both:

• a separate definite word: den
• and the definite ending on the noun: -en

But in your sentence there is no adjective, so the ending alone is enough.

The indefinite singular forms are:

• en arkivkopi
• en masterfil

So the full set is:

• en arkivkopi = an archive copy
• arkivkopien = the archive copy
• en masterfil = a master file
• masterfilen = the master file

These are common en-words in Norwegian, so the definite singular ending is -en.

It can cover both, depending on context.

In Norwegian, the present passive lages is often broader than English forms. It may mean:

• is made
• is being made
• gets made
• is created

In a technical sentence like this, English often translates it as is made or is created.

So you should not expect a perfect one-to-one match with English aspect.

Yes. Norwegian, especially in technical and digital contexts, uses many loanwords and hybrid compounds that look very familiar to English speakers.

Here:

• master is a borrowed element
• fil means file
• together: masterfil

That is very typical modern Norwegian usage, especially in IT, media, archiving, and publishing.

Very much so.

This sentence has several features that are common in formal or technical Norwegian:

• a compound noun: arkivkopien
• passive verb: lages
• a source phrase with fra
• no explicit agent

That style is useful when the focus is on the process or result, not on who performs the action.

So a sentence like this would sound very natural in documentation, software descriptions, workflows, or archiving instructions.