Vi kontrollerer sidebørsten og hovedbørsten.

Because kontrollerer is the present tense form of the verb å kontrollere (to check / to inspect / to control, depending on context).

In Norwegian, the present tense is often formed by adding -er to the infinitive stem:

• å kontrollere = to check
• kontrollerer = check / are checking / is checking

A useful thing for English speakers: Norwegian verbs do not change for different persons in the present tense.

So you get:

• jeg kontrollerer = I check / I am checking
• du kontrollerer = you check / are checking
• vi kontrollerer = we check / are checking

The verb form stays the same.

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of appearing as a separate word before it.

So:

• sidebørste = side brush / a side brush
• sidebørsten = the side brush

and:

• hovedbørste = main brush / a main brush
• hovedbørsten = the main brush

For many common-gender nouns, the definite singular ending is -en. That is what you see here.

So English:

• the side brush
• the main brush

becomes Norwegian:

• sidebørsten
• hovedbørsten

They end in -en because both nouns are in the singular definite form and are treated as common gender nouns.

Basic pattern:

• en børste = a brush
• børsten = the brush

The same pattern applies to these compound nouns:

• en sidebørste = a side brush

• sidebørsten = the side brush

• en hovedbørste = a main brush
• hovedbørsten = the main brush

So the -en ending tells you the and singular at the same time.

Yes. They are compound nouns, which are very common in Norwegian.

They break down like this:

• side + børste → sidebørste = side brush
• hoved + børste → hovedbørste = main brush

Then the definite ending is added:

• sidebørste → sidebørsten
• hovedbørste → hovedbørsten

This is very typical in Norwegian. Instead of using a long phrase, Norwegian often combines words into one noun.

This is the normal word order for a simple Norwegian statement:

• Subject + verb + object

So here:

• Vi = subject
• kontrollerer = verb
• sidebørsten og hovedbørsten = object

That makes the structure:

• Vi kontrollerer sidebørsten og hovedbørsten.

This is very close to English word order:

• We check the side brush and the main brush.

Norwegian is often straightforward like this in basic main clauses.

Not usually in this sentence. Even though kontrollere looks like English control, here it more naturally means:

• check
• inspect
• verify
• sometimes examine

So in a practical or technical context, Vi kontrollerer sidebørsten og hovedbørsten usually means something like:

• We check the side brush and the main brush.

This is a good example of a word that looks familiar to English speakers but may not always match perfectly in usage.

Because the sentence is talking about specific brushes: the side brush and the main brush.

If Norwegian wanted to say a side brush and a main brush, it would use the indefinite article:

• Vi kontrollerer en sidebørste og en hovedbørste.

But here the forms are definite:

• sidebørsten = the side brush
• hovedbørsten = the main brush

So en is not used.

Because og simply links the two objects together, just like and in English.

So:

• sidebørsten og hovedbørsten = the side brush and the main brush

Norwegian does not need to repeat the verb or anything else here. It works the same way as English:

• We check the side brush and the main brush.

Not:

• We check the side brush and check the main brush

unless you want extra emphasis.

Yes. Norwegian present tense often covers both:

• We check
• We are checking

So Vi kontrollerer sidebørsten og hovedbørsten can mean either, depending on context.

Norwegian usually does not need a separate continuous form like English am/is/are checking.

Context tells you whether it means a general action or something happening right now.

The dictionary form is the infinitive, which is:

• å kontrollere

When you look up Norwegian verbs, you usually look for the å form.

So if you see:

• kontrollerer

you should think:

• present tense of å kontrollere

This is a useful habit for reading Norwegian: when you see a verb ending like -er, try to identify the infinitive.

The letter ø is a vowel that does not exist in standard English, so it can feel unfamiliar.

In børsten, the ø is pronounced somewhat like:

• the vowel in French peur
• or German schön

For an English speaker, a rough approximation is to say eh or ur with rounded lips, but that is only approximate.

So:

• børste
• børsten

are not pronounced with a normal English o sound.

This is one of those sounds that usually gets easier with listening and repetition rather than with a perfect written explanation.

You would use only one object.

For example:

• Vi kontrollerer sidebørsten. = We check the side brush.
• Vi kontrollerer hovedbørsten. = We check the main brush.

If it were indefinite, you could say:

• Vi kontrollerer en sidebørste. = We check a side brush.
• Vi kontrollerer en hovedbørste. = We check a main brush.

So the main difference is whether the noun is:

• definite: -en
• indefinite: often en + noun

It is quite neutral and natural, especially in an instructional, technical, or workplace context.

It sounds like something you might read in:

• a manual
• a checklist
• maintenance instructions
• a training guide

It is not especially formal or especially casual. It is just clear, standard Norwegian.