Legen foretar synsundersøkelsen.

Legen is the definite singular form of lege (doctor).

• en lege = a doctor
• legen = the doctor

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

Because Norwegian often puts definiteness on the noun itself.

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

• legen = the doctor

This is very common in Norwegian. The ending -en here works like English the for a masculine singular noun.

Foretar is the present tense of å foreta, which means to carry out, to perform, or to undertake.

So:

• Legen foretar ... = The doctor performs / carries out ...

It is a slightly formal or professional verb, so it fits well in a medical context.

Norwegian main clauses normally follow the V2 rule, which means the finite verb comes in the second position.

In this sentence:

• Legen = first element
• foretar = second element
• synsundersøkelsen = rest of the sentence

This is standard Norwegian word order.

It is a compound noun:

• syn = sight / vision
• undersøkelse = examination
• synsundersøkelse = eye test / vision examination
• synsundersøkelsen = the eye test / vision examination

Norwegian very often joins nouns together into one word, where English might use two or more words.

That s is a linking s often used in Norwegian compounds.

So:

• syn
  • undersøkelse becomes synsundersøkelse

This s does not usually have a meaning by itself. It just helps form the compound in a natural way. English learners often notice this because English usually keeps the words separate instead.

Because it is also in the definite singular form.

• en synsundersøkelse = an eye examination
• synsundersøkelsen = the eye examination

So this sentence has two definite nouns:

• legen = the doctor
• synsundersøkelsen = the eye examination

No, not in this sentence.

Double definiteness in Norwegian happens when you have:

1. a definite article before the noun, and
2. the noun also has a definite ending

For example:

• den synsundersøkelsen = that / the eye examination

Here, though, there is no den, so synsundersøkelsen is just a normal definite noun, not double definiteness.

Yes, grammatically you could, because doktoren also means the doctor.

However, legen is usually the more standard and natural word for a medical doctor in Norwegian. Doktor can also be used, but it may sound a little different depending on context and register.

So for a general sentence like this, legen is the safest choice.

Yes, but the verb still has to stay in second position in a main clause.

For example:

• Legen foretar synsundersøkelsen.
• Synsundersøkelsen foretar legen.
  This is possible, but it sounds marked or contrastive.

If you move synsundersøkelsen to the front, the verb still comes second:

• Synsundersøkelsen = first element
• foretar = second element
• legen = after the verb

That is the V2 rule again.

It is common, but somewhat formal compared with some other verbs.

In everyday speech, Norwegians might also use verbs like:

• gjør = does
• utfører = carries out / performs

But foretar is perfectly correct and natural in formal, medical, or written contexts.

A slightly more everyday version might be:

• Legen gjør synsundersøkelsen.
• Legen utfører synsundersøkelsen.

But Legen foretar synsundersøkelsen sounds correct and professional, which is probably why it is used here.

The exact pronunciation can vary a bit by dialect, but a learner should notice these points:

• y in syn is not like English y
• ø in undersøkelsen is a vowel English does not really have
• the whole compound is pronounced as one word

A rough learner-friendly guide might be:

• syns- ≈ something like süns
• under- ≈ UN-der
• søkelsen ≈ SUR-kel-sen or SØR-kel-sen depending on how rough the approximation is

The best approach is to listen to native audio, especially for y and ø, because English spelling approximations are limited.

The dictionary forms are:

• legen → lege
• foretar → å foreta
• synsundersøkelsen → synsundersøkelse

This is useful because Norwegian sentences often contain inflected forms, while dictionaries list the base form.