Han virker avslappet.

Here, virker means seems or appears.

That can be confusing, because virke also has other meanings in Norwegian, such as:

• to work / function
  
  • Bilen virker ikke. = The car doesn’t work.
• to have an effect
  
  • Medisinen virker. = The medicine is working.

In Han virker avslappet, the meaning is the seem/appear one.

Avslappet is the adjective used here to describe his state or impression.

In this sentence, it works as a predicate adjective, meaning it comes after the verb and describes the subject:

• Han er avslappet. = He is relaxed.
• Han virker avslappet. = He seems relaxed.

So avslappet is not acting like a verb here; it is describing han.

It is originally a past participle of å slappe av (to relax), but in sentences like this it functions very much like an adjective.

That is very common in Norwegian. Many words that come from participles are used as adjectives:

• interessert = interested
• stresset = stressed
• forvirret = confused
• avslappet = relaxed

So for a learner, it is usually most helpful to think of avslappet here as an adjective.

Because the verb in this sentence is virker (seems/appears), not er (is).

Norwegian, like English, can use verbs such as seem directly with an adjective:

• He seems tired.
• Han virker trøtt.

So you do not need er in addition.
Han virker avslappet is complete as it is.

This is the normal Norwegian word order for a main clause:

• subject + verb + complement

So:

• Han = subject
• virker = verb
• avslappet = complement

Norwegian main clauses usually place the finite verb in the second position. Since the sentence starts with the subject Han, the verb naturally comes next:

• Han virker avslappet.

If you start with another element, the verb still stays in second position:

• I dag virker han avslappet. = Today he seems relaxed.

Yes, absolutely. Han ser avslappet ut is a very common alternative.

There is a slight nuance:

• Han virker avslappet = he seems relaxed, based on the overall impression
• Han ser avslappet ut = he looks relaxed, often more specifically about appearance

In many everyday situations, they are very close in meaning.

Both can often be translated as seems/looks, but they are not always identical.

• virker is a more general impression
  
  • maybe from behavior, tone, attitude, or overall impression
• ser ut is more tied to visual appearance

For example:

• Han virker nervøs. = He seems nervous.
  This could be from how he acts.
• Han ser nervøs ut. = He looks nervous.
  This sounds more visual.

So virker can be a bit broader than ser ut.

You usually put ikke after the finite verb:

• Han virker ikke avslappet. = He doesn’t seem relaxed.

That placement is very typical in Norwegian main clauses:

• subject + verb + ikke
  • rest

Examples:

• Hun er ikke trøtt.
• De kommer ikke i dag.
• Han virker ikke avslappet.

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

• Virker han avslappet? = Does he seem relaxed?

That is a very common pattern:

• Er han hjemme?
• Kommer de snart?
• Virker han avslappet?

So you basically switch the order of han and virker.

No. Norwegian verbs do not change according to person or number in the present tense.

So you get:

• jeg virker
• du virker
• han virker
• vi virker
• de virker

That is easier than English, where you have I seem but he seems.
In Norwegian, the verb form stays the same.

Virker is the present tense of å virke.

Some useful forms are:

• å virke = to seem / to work
• virker = seems / works
• virket = seemed / worked
• har virket = has seemed / has worked

So:

• Han virker avslappet. = present
• Han virket avslappet. = past

Yes, adjectives in Norwegian can change form, but predicate adjectives like this are often easiest to learn through examples.

Some common patterns:

• en avslappet mann = a relaxed man
• et avslappet svar = a relaxed/casual answer
• avslappede mennesker = relaxed people

In Han virker avslappet, the form avslappet is the natural one.

Because it is describing han after the verb, learners often just memorize this kind of pattern as:

• Han virker trøtt
• Hun virker glad
• Han virker avslappet

It is neutral and completely natural in everyday Norwegian.

It works well in both spoken and written language. It is not especially formal, and it is not slang.

So you could use it in many contexts:

• casual conversation
• describing someone in a story
• giving an impression of someone
• everyday writing

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation guide would be:

• virker ≈ VEER-ker or VIR-ker
• avslappet ≈ AHV-slahp-pet

A few notes:

• The r in Norwegian is usually clearly pronounced.
• The kk sound in virker is not actually written there; it is just rk, so do not over-pronounce it.
• In avslappet, the stress is usually on the slapp part.

Exact pronunciation varies somewhat by dialect, but the standard forms above will be understood well.