Prøvelinsen er riktig; med andre ord passer den.

Prøvelinsen is a compound noun:

• prøve = test / trial
• linsen = the lens

So prøvelinsen means the trial lens or the test lens.

Norwegian very often joins nouns into one word where English might use two words. So instead of something like trial lens as two separate words, Norwegian makes prøvelinse.

In this sentence, it appears as prøvelinsen, which is the definite form: the trial lens.

The ending -en marks the definite singular form for many Norwegian nouns.

So:

• en prøvelinse = a trial lens
• prøvelinsen = the trial lens

This is very common in Norwegian: the definite article is often attached to the end of the noun instead of standing in front of it as a separate word.

Here, riktig means something like:

• correct
• right
• the right one
• appropriate

So Prøvelinsen er riktig means the lens is the correct one.

Depending on context, riktig can mean slightly different things, such as correct, accurate, or right, but here it is about suitability or correctness.

They are close in meaning here, but not identical.

• er riktig = is correct / is the right one
• passer = fits / suits

So the second part explains the first part more concretely:

• The trial lens is correct
• in other words, it fits

This makes the sentence feel natural and explanatory. The first clause gives the conclusion, and the second restates it in a more practical way.

Med andre ord means in other words.

It is used to rephrase or clarify what was just said.

So:

• Prøvelinsen er riktig
• med andre ord passer den

means:

• The trial lens is the right one
• in other words, it fits

This phrase is very common in both spoken and written Norwegian.

This is because Norwegian follows the V2 rule in main clauses. That means the finite verb usually comes in the second position.

The phrase med andre ord is placed first in the clause. Once that happens, the verb must come next:

• Med andre ord passer den

Structure:

• Med andre ord = first element
• passer = verb in second position
• den = subject after the verb

If you said Med andre ord den passer, that would sound wrong in standard Norwegian.

Den refers back to prøvelinsen.

In Norwegian, den is used for many common-gender nouns. Since prøvelinse is treated as a noun that takes den, the sentence uses:

• passer den = it fits

So den here means it.

Norwegian pronouns often match the grammatical gender of the noun they refer to.

• den is used for common-gender nouns
• det is used for neuter nouns

Since prøvelinse is not a neuter noun, den is used.

So:

• prøvelinsen ... den
• not prøvelinsen ... det

For English speakers, this can feel unfamiliar because English usually just uses it without grammatical gender.

The dictionary form is å passe.

In this sentence:

• passer = present tense of å passe

So:

• å passe = to fit / to suit
• den passer = it fits / it suits

Be aware that å passe can have several meanings depending on context, including:

• to fit
• to suit
• to look after
• to be careful

Here it clearly means to fit.

The semicolon is mainly a punctuation choice. It links two closely related statements:

• Prøvelinsen er riktig
• med andre ord passer den

It shows that the second clause explains or reformulates the first.

You might also see a comma or even a full stop in some contexts, but the semicolon gives a slightly more formal written feel.

Yes. Some natural alternatives are:

• Prøvelinsen er riktig. Den passer.
• Prøvelinsen passer.
• Prøvelinsen er den riktige.
• Med andre ord: prøvelinsen passer.

These versions are slightly different in tone or emphasis, but they express a similar idea.

The original sentence is useful because it shows both:

• the judgment: er riktig
• the practical result: passer den