Barnet holder kaninen.

Because barnet is the definite singular form of barn, meaning the child.

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

• barn = child / a child
• barnet = the child

Barn is a neuter noun, so its definite ending is -et.

For the same reason: kaninen is the definite singular form, meaning the rabbit.

• kanin = rabbit / a rabbit
• kaninen = the rabbit

Kanin is usually a common gender noun in Norwegian, and common gender nouns often take -en in the definite singular.

In Norwegian, the is usually expressed by adding an ending to the noun.

So instead of saying:

• the child
• the rabbit

Norwegian says:

• barnet
• kaninen

This is one of the biggest structural differences from English.

Holder is the present tense of the verb å holde.

So:

• å holde = to hold
• holder = holds / is holding

In Norwegian, the present tense often covers both the simple present and the present continuous in English, depending on context.

So Barnet holder kaninen can mean:

• The child holds the rabbit
• The child is holding the rabbit

Norwegian usually follows a verb-second pattern in main clauses. In a simple statement like this, that means the verb comes right after the subject.

• Barnet = subject
• holder = verb
• kaninen = object

So the normal word order is:

Subject + Verb + Object

That gives:

Barnet holder kaninen.

You would normally say:

Et barn holder en kanin.

Here the nouns are indefinite:

• et barn = a child
• en kanin = a rabbit

Notice the articles:

• et is used with neuter nouns like barn
• en is used with common gender nouns like kanin

Here, barnet is clearly singular definite: the child.

Interestingly, barn by itself can also be the plural form in Norwegian, depending on context:

• et barn = a child
• barnet = the child
• barn = children
• barna = the children

So barn is one of those nouns where the singular indefinite and plural indefinite forms look the same.

Not always. Å holde is a very common verb with several meanings, depending on context.

It can mean things like:

• to hold
• to keep
• to maintain
• to stop someone/something
• to have an opinion in some expressions

But in Barnet holder kaninen, the most natural meaning is the physical one: The child is holding the rabbit.

A simple learner-friendly approximation would be:

BAR-neht HOL-er ka-NEE-nen

A few notes:

• barnet has two syllables
• holder also has two syllables
• kaninen has three syllables
• the r sound may vary depending on the dialect

If you are learning standard Eastern Norwegian, the sentence is pronounced smoothly, with the main stress roughly on the first syllable of barnet and holder, and usually on the second syllable of kaninen.

Usually, no—not in the most natural everyday reading of this sentence by itself.

Without extra context, Barnet holder kaninen is most naturally understood as The child is holding the rabbit.

If you wanted to say The child keeps the rabbit, Norwegian would usually need clearer wording, depending on the exact meaning, such as whether the child owns it, is looking after it, or is physically not letting go of it.