Avisen skriver om affæren.

Because avisen is the definite singular form of avis (newspaper).

• avis = a newspaper
• avisen = the newspaper

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like English the.

For the same reason: affæren is the definite singular form of affære.

• en affære = an affair
• affæren = the affair

So both nouns in the sentence are definite:

• Avisen = the newspaper
• affæren = the affair

In Norwegian, the is usually built into the noun itself.

So instead of saying something like the newspaper, Norwegian usually says:

• avisen literally: newspaper-the

And instead of the affair:

• affæren literally: affair-the

This is one of the most important differences from English noun structure.

Here om means about.

So:

• skriver om = writes about

That makes the whole sentence mean that the newspaper is writing about the affair.

Be careful: om can have other meanings in other contexts, but in this sentence about is the natural meaning.

Skriver is the present tense of å skrive (to write).

Examples:

• jeg skriver = I write / I am writing
• du skriver = you write / are writing
• avisen skriver = the newspaper writes / is writing

In Norwegian, the present tense verb form does not change depending on the subject the way English sometimes does. The same form skriver is used with all persons.

This sentence has standard Norwegian main-clause word order:

subject + verb + prepositional phrase

• Avisen = subject
• skriver = verb
• om affæren = prepositional phrase

So it is a very normal, straightforward sentence.

It also follows the common Norwegian V2 pattern, where the finite verb is in the second position in main clauses.

Yes. Norwegian often moves another element to the front for emphasis, but then the verb still stays in second position.

For example:

• Om affæren skriver avisen.

This is grammatical, but much less neutral and sounds marked or literary. The original sentence:

• Avisen skriver om affæren.

is the normal, natural version.

Not necessarily. Affære can mean different things depending on context, such as:

• an affair
• a scandal
• a case
• sometimes a romantic affair

So without more context, affæren could refer to a scandal, a public controversy, or some other notable matter. A learner should not automatically assume a romantic meaning.

The most important thing for an English speaker is the letter æ.

• æ sounds somewhat like the vowel in English cat for many speakers, though not exactly the same.
• affæren is roughly like ah-FEHR-en or ah-FEH-ren, depending on accent and exact pronunciation.

Also:

• the stress is on the second syllable
• the final -en is the definite ending

You do not need to pronounce it exactly like English spelling might suggest.

It is singular.

• en avis = a newspaper
• avisen = the newspaper
• aviser = newspapers
• avisene = the newspapers

So this sentence talks about one newspaper, not several.

Because skrive om is the natural way to say write about something.

Compare:

• skrive = write
• skrive om noe = write about something

So the preposition om is required here to express the idea of the topic being written about.

Yes. Norwegian present tense often covers both meanings, and the exact interpretation depends on context.

So Avisen skriver om affæren can mean:

• The newspaper writes about the affair
• The newspaper is writing about the affair

If Norwegian speakers want to make the ongoing meaning extra clear, they can use other expressions, but the simple present is very often enough.