Lidelsen varer lenge.

Because -en marks the definite singular form of the noun.

• en lidelse = a suffering / a disorder / an affliction
• lidelsen = the suffering / the disorder / the affliction

So Lidelsen varer lenge is talking about a specific suffering or condition, not just suffering in general.

The dictionary form is lidelse.

You would usually learn it as:

• en lidelse = a disorder, affliction, suffering

It is a common-gender noun in Norwegian, which is why the indefinite article is en and the definite ending is -en.

Lidelse can mean several related things depending on context:

• suffering
• affliction
• disorder
• illness or condition in some medical contexts

So the sentence could sound more emotional or more medical depending on where it appears. The exact English translation depends on context, even though the grammar stays the same.

Varer is the present tense of the verb å vare, which means to last or to continue.

Examples:

• Det varer lenge. = It lasts a long time.
• Møtet varer i to timer. = The meeting lasts for two hours.

So in Lidelsen varer lenge, varer means lasts.

Norwegian does not use do-support the way English does.

In English, we sometimes need do/does/did:

• Does it last long?
• It does not last long.

In Norwegian, you usually just use the main verb directly:

• Varer det lenge? = Does it last long?
• Det varer ikke lenge. = It does not last long.

So varer can stand on its own without an extra helping verb like does.

Lenge is an adverb, and here it means for a long time or long in the sense of duration.

• lang = an adjective meaning long
• lenge = an adverb meaning for a long time

Compare:

• en lang dag = a long day
  (lang describes the noun dag)
• Det varer lenge = It lasts a long time
  (lenge describes the verb varer)

So lenge is used because it tells us how long the lasting continues.

Yes, absolutely.

• Lidelsen varer lenge. = The suffering lasts a long time.
• Lidelsen varer i lang tid. = The suffering lasts for a long time.

Both are correct. The version with lenge is shorter and very natural. The version with i lang tid is a little more explicit.

This is the normal Norwegian word order for a main clause:

subject + verb + adverbial

So here:

• Lidelsen = subject
• varer = verb
• lenge = adverbial of time/duration

That matches standard English word order pretty closely:

• The suffering lasts a long time.

The past tense of å vare is varte.

So:

• Lidelsen varer lenge. = The suffering lasts a long time.
• Lidelsen varte lenge. = The suffering lasted a long time.

This is a useful pattern:

• varer = present
• varte = past

You usually put ikke after the verb in a main clause.

So:

• Lidelsen varer ikke lenge. = The suffering does not last long.

This is a very common Norwegian pattern:

• Subject + verb + ikke + ...

In Norwegian yes/no questions, the verb usually comes before the subject.

So:

• Varer lidelsen lenge? = Does the suffering last a long time?

This is the standard verb-first question pattern:

• statement: Lidelsen varer lenge.
• question: Varer lidelsen lenge?

A helpful approximate pronunciation is:

• lidelsen ≈ LEE-del-sen
• varer ≈ VAH-rer
• lenge ≈ LEHNG-eh

A few notes:

• Norwegian r varies by dialect, so don’t worry if different speakers sound different.
• The d in lidelsen is often soft.
• ng in lenge is like the ng in English sing.

If you want to sound natural, focus more on the rhythm than on making each letter fully pronounced.

Yes, it is completely natural.

It is short, clear, and grammatically straightforward. It sounds like something you might see in:

• medical or psychological writing
• formal discussion of illness or suffering
• general descriptive prose

Depending on context, speakers might also choose a more specific noun, but Lidelsen varer lenge is perfectly normal Norwegian.