Fullmektigen hjelper arvingen.

In Norwegian, the is usually added to the end of the noun instead of standing as a separate word in front of it.

So:

• fullmektig = the basic noun
• fullmektigen = the
  • noun
• arving = the basic noun
• arvingen = the
  • noun

That is why you see Fullmektigen hjelper arvingen rather than something like the fullmektig helps the arving.

The basic forms are:

• fullmektig = noun
• hjelpe = infinitive verb
• arving = noun

In the sentence:

• fullmektigen is the definite singular form of fullmektig
• hjelper is the present tense of hjelpe
• arvingen is the definite singular form of arving

Hjelper is the present tense of hjelpe.

So:

• å hjelpe = to help
• hjelper = helps / is helping

A useful point for English speakers: Norwegian often uses the simple present where English might use either helps or is helping. The exact meaning depends on context.

In a normal Norwegian statement, the usual word order is:

subject + verb + object

So in:

Fullmektigen hjelper arvingen

• Fullmektigen = subject, the one doing the action
• hjelper = verb
• arvingen = object, the one receiving the action

So fullmektigen is the helper, and arvingen is the person being helped.

No. Norwegian nouns usually do not change form for subject vs. object.

So:

• fullmektigen looks the same whether it is subject or object
• arvingen also looks the same whether it is subject or object

This is different from languages with strong case marking. In Norwegian, word order usually tells you who is doing what.

Pronouns are different, though. For example:

• han = he
• ham = him

But ordinary nouns usually do not change that way.

Yes. In Bokmål, both fullmektig and arving are masculine nouns, and the normal definite singular ending for masculine nouns is -en.

So:

• fullmektig → fullmektigen
• arving → arvingen

For a learner, it is often easiest to think of -en here as the ending meaning the for these singular nouns.

Yes. Norwegian present tense can cover both ideas, depending on context.

So Fullmektigen hjelper arvingen could mean:

• The attorney helps the heir in a general or repeated sense
• The attorney is helping the heir right now

Norwegian does not use a compulsory progressive form in the way English does.

Not in normal standard usage if you still mean singular count nouns.

If you remove the definite endings, you usually need indefinite articles:

• En fullmektig hjelper en arving = an attorney helps an heir

Bare singular nouns like fullmektig hjelper arving would sound unnatural in an ordinary sentence.

So in this sentence, the -en endings are important because they show that both nouns are definite.

Usually, yes.

Compare:

• Fullmektigen hjelper arvingen = the attorney helps the heir
• Arvingen hjelper fullmektigen = the heir helps the attorney

Because Norwegian nouns do not normally show subject/object case, changing the order usually changes who is understood as doing the action.

In most modern Norwegian pronunciation, hj at the beginning of a word is pronounced roughly like the English y sound in yes.

So hjelper sounds approximately like YEL-per, though not exactly like English.

The important point is:

• the h is not pronounced separately
• hj is treated as one sound, roughly y

That pronunciation pattern also appears in other Norwegian words beginning with hj-.