Familien kjøper ranchen.

Because familien is the definite singular form of familie.

• familie = family
• familien = the family

In Norwegian, the idea of the is often added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word before it.

So:

• familie → family
• familien → the family

For the same reason: ranchen is the definite singular form of ranch.

• ranch = a ranch
• ranchen = the ranch

So Norwegian often marks definiteness with a suffix:

• -en
• -et
• -a

Which one you use depends on the noun.

In this sentence, both nouns are definite:

• Familien = the family
• ranchen = the ranch

Because Norwegian usually puts the definite article onto the noun itself.

English says:

• the family
• the ranch

Norwegian says:

• famili-en
• ranch-en

So the the is built into the noun. That is very normal in Norwegian.

Kjøper is the present tense of the verb å kjøpe, which means to buy.

• å kjøpe = to buy
• kjøper = buys / is buying

In simple sentences like this, Norwegian present tense often corresponds to English buys or is buying, depending on context.

Examples:

• Jeg kjøper = I buy / I am buying
• Familien kjøper = The family buys / The family is buying

The dictionary forms are:

• familie = family
• å kjøpe = to buy
• ranch = ranch

The sentence uses inflected forms:

• familien = definite singular of familie
• kjøper = present tense of å kjøpe
• ranchen = definite singular of ranch

Yes. This sentence follows normal subject–verb–object order:

• Familien = subject
• kjøper = verb
• ranchen = object

So it matches English very closely:

• The family buys the ranch

However, Norwegian also follows the verb-second rule in many main clauses. That means if you move another element to the front, the verb still stays in second position.

Example:

• I dag kjøper familien ranchen. = Today the family is buying the ranch.

Notice that kjøper still comes second.

By itself, familien literally means the family.

But in real context, it can sometimes refer to someone’s family if that is already understood. That is similar to English, where the family can sometimes mean our family or their family, depending on context.

If you want to be explicit, Norwegian would say:

• min familie = my family
• vår familie = our family

So in isolation, familien is best understood as the family.

Yes, it can be used in Norwegian as a loanword, and ranchen is a natural definite form.

That said, ranch is not as everyday a word in Norwegian as it is in American English, because it refers to something that is less central in Norwegian life and culture. But grammatically, the word behaves like a normal Norwegian noun in this sentence.

So:

• en ranch = a ranch
• ranchen = the ranch

The tricky part is the beginning: kjø-.

A rough guide:

• kj is not a hard English k
• it is a soft sound made further forward in the mouth
• ø is a vowel that does not exist exactly in English

A practical learner tip:

• For ø, try saying eh while rounding your lips.

So kjøper is roughly something like shur-per or hyur-per, depending on accent and how approximate you want to be. Neither is perfect, but both are closer than saying a hard kyo.

If you want a safer learner goal, focus on these two points:

• do not pronounce a strong English k
• keep the vowel rounded

Actually, kjøper already is the Norwegian present-tense form used with all persons.

Unlike English, Norwegian verbs usually do not change depending on the subject.

So you get:

• jeg kjøper = I buy
• du kjøper = you buy
• han kjøper = he buys
• vi kjøper = we buy

The verb stays the same. This is much simpler than English.

You would use the indefinite forms:

• En familie kjøper en ranch.

That means A family buys a ranch.

Compare:

• Familien kjøper ranchen. = The family buys the ranch.
• En familie kjøper en ranch. = A family buys a ranch.

So the sentence changes by switching from definite noun forms to indefinite ones.

You would change the verb:

• Familien kjøpte ranchen. = The family bought the ranch.

Here:

• kjøper = present
• kjøpte = past

The nouns stay the same because they are still the family and the ranch. Only the verb changes.