Planen er risikabel.

The plan is risky.

Breakdown of Planen er risikabel.

• være: to be
• planen: the plan
• risikabel: risky

Questions & Answers about Planen er risikabel.

Why is it planen and not just plan?

Because planen is the definite singular form of plan.

• en plan = a plan
• planen = the plan

In Norwegian, the definite article is often added to the end of the noun as a suffix.

So:

• plan = plan
• planen = the plan

That is why Planen er risikabel means The plan is risky rather than A plan is risky.

What gender is plan, and how do I know?

Plan is a common gender noun in Bokmål, so it takes en in the indefinite singular:

• en plan
• planen

A native English speaker often has to memorize noun gender in Norwegian, because it affects articles and adjective endings.

For this noun, you should learn it as:

• en plan = a plan

Why is er used here?

Er is the present tense of å være (to be).

So:

• å være = to be
• er = is / am / are

In this sentence, er links the subject planen with the description risikabel:

• Planen er risikabel.
• The plan is risky.

This is the normal Norwegian equivalent of English is.