Barnet er sjenert.

Because barnet is the definite singular form of barn.

• barn = child
• barnet = the child

In Norwegian, the idea of the is often added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word.

Also, barn is a neuter noun, which is why its definite ending is -et.

Norwegian usually puts the definite article onto the noun itself.

So instead of:

• the + child

you get:

• barnet

This is very common in Norwegian:

• en bil = a car
• bilen = the car
• et hus = a house
• huset = the house

So barnet already includes the meaning of the.

Er means is / am / are and is the present tense of å være (to be).

In this sentence:

• Barnet er sjenert = The child is shy

A useful thing for English speakers: er does not change by person the way English does.

• jeg er = I am
• du er = you are
• han er = he is
• barnet er = the child is

So you do not need to learn separate present-tense forms like am / is / are.

Because here sjenert is a predicate adjective: it describes the subject through the verb er.

So the structure is:

• Barnet = subject
• er = verb
• sjenert = adjective describing the subject

That is different from putting the adjective directly before the noun.

Compare:

• Barnet er sjenert = The child is shy
• et sjenert barn = a shy child
• det sjenerte barnet = the shy child

So when the adjective is part of a full sentence after to be, it comes after er.

Yes, Norwegian adjectives can agree with the noun, including when they come after er.

However, sjenert is a slightly tricky example because its singular form looks the same for both:

• en sjenert gutt = a shy boy
• et sjenert barn = a shy child
• Gutten er sjenert = The boy is shy
• Barnet er sjenert = The child is shy

But in plural or definite adjective phrases, you do see a change:

• sjenerte barn = shy children
• Barna er sjenerte = The children are shy
• det sjenerte barnet = the shy child

So yes, agreement exists, but this adjective does not show a visible difference in singular common vs. singular neuter.

Barn is a neuter noun.

That matters because neuter nouns usually take:

• et in the indefinite singular
• -et in the definite singular

So:

• et barn = a child
• barnet = the child

Gender also affects adjective forms and some pronouns elsewhere in the language.

Yes. That would mean A child is shy.

Compare:

• Et barn er sjenert = A child is shy
• Barnet er sjenert = The child is shy

So the difference is the same as in English:

• a child = indefinite
• the child = definite

No, not in a normal standard Norwegian sentence like this.

You need the verb er:

• Barnet er sjenert = correct

Without er:

• Barnet sjenert = not a normal complete sentence in standard Norwegian

So Norwegian works like English here: you need is / er.

A rough guide is BAR-net, with the stress on the first syllable.

A few tips:

• bar is not like the English word bear
• the a is more like the a in father for many learners as a rough approximation
• the final -et is usually unstressed

So something like BAR-net is a decent beginner approximation.

A rough approximation is sheh-NERT, with the stress on the second syllable.

Helpful points:

• sj sounds like English sh
• the second syllable is stressed
• the final rt may sound a bit different from English depending on dialect

So for a beginner, sheh-NERT is a useful approximation.

No. This is a classic false friend.

In Norwegian:

• barn = child

In English:

• barn = a farm building

So even though they are spelled the same, they mean completely different things.

The sentence follows the normal Norwegian pattern for a simple statement:

• Subject + verb + complement

So here:

• Barnet = subject
• er = verb
• sjenert = complement/adjective

This is very similar to English:

• The child is shy

So the sentence is straightforward in both meaning and word order.