Vasken er full av vann.

Because vasken is the definite singular form: the sink.

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

• en vask = a sink
• vasken = the sink

So Vasken er full av vann starts with the sink, not a sink.

Vask is normally a common gender noun in Norwegian, so its indefinite singular form is en vask.

That gives these forms:

• en vask = a sink
• vasken = the sink

Yes, gender matters because it affects which ending you use for the definite form. For a common gender noun, the usual definite singular ending is -en.

Because Norwegian usually expresses the by attaching it to the noun.

So where English says:

• the sink

Norwegian usually says:

• vasken

This is one of the biggest differences from English. In a simple sentence like this, you do not say den vasken unless you mean something more like that sink or you are using an adjective in a certain structure.

Because this is a normal Norwegian main clause with the basic word order:

subject + verb + complement

So:

• Vasken = subject
• er = verb
• full av vann = description of the subject

This is very similar to English:

• The sink
  • is
    • full of water

Full av means full of.

This is a fixed and very common combination in Norwegian:

• full av vann = full of water
• full av folk = full of people
• full av feil = full of mistakes

The preposition av is the normal one after full when you mean full of. English speakers often want to translate word by word, but it is best to learn full av as a set phrase.

Sometimes Norwegian uses full med, especially in everyday speech, but full av is the more standard and expected choice here.

So for a learner, full av vann is the safest and most natural version to remember.

Very roughly:

• full av is the standard expression for full of
• full med can occur in colloquial language, but it is not the best default choice for a beginner in this sentence

Because vann here means water as a substance, and substance nouns often appear without an article in Norwegian, just as they often do in English.

So:

• vann = water
• et vann usually means a lake

This is an important distinction. In this sentence, vann clearly means water, so there is no article.

Not always. Vask can refer to a sink, washbasin, or sometimes a washing area, depending on context.

In many everyday contexts, vasken will naturally be understood as the sink. If the situation is a bathroom, it could mean the bathroom sink. If the situation is a kitchen, it probably means the kitchen sink.

So the exact English word can depend on context, even though the Norwegian form stays the same.

You put ikke after the verb:

• Vasken er ikke full av vann.

That means The sink is not full of water.

This is a very useful pattern in Norwegian:

• Han er trøtt. = He is tired.
• Han er ikke trøtt. = He is not tired.

So with er, ikke usually comes after the verb in a simple main clause.

In a yes/no question, Norwegian usually puts the verb first:

• Er vasken full av vann?

That means Is the sink full of water?

This is another core pattern:

• statement: Vasken er full av vann.
• question: Er vasken full av vann?

Vann is pronounced roughly like English vahnn, but with a short vowel and a clear final n sound.

The double n helps show that the vowel is short. This is a common spelling pattern in Norwegian: a short stressed vowel is often followed by a doubled consonant.

So in vann, the vowel is short, not long.

It is completely natural Norwegian.

The structure is straightforward and idiomatic:

• Vasken = the sink
• er = is
• full av vann = full of water

So this is exactly the kind of sentence a native speaker could naturally say.