Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Regningen er betalt.

Norwegian can express “the bill is paid” as a stative/resultative passive with å være + past participle. Here Regningen er betalt literally means “the bill is in the state of being paid.” If you used har, you’d form a perfect tense (Jeg har betalt), which focuses on the action rather than the resulting state.

Is betalt an adjective or a verb form?

Betalt is the past participle of the verb å betale (to pay). In this sentence it’s not acting as an ordinary adjective but as part of a passive construction. You combine er (to be) with betalt to show that the subject is in the paid state.

What’s the difference between er betalt and blir betalt?

Er betalt = resultative/stative passive (“is paid,” describing the current state).
Blir betalt = dynamic passive (“is being paid” or “gets paid,” focusing on the process or event).

Could I say Regningen har blitt betalt? How does that differ?

Yes. Regningen har blitt betalt is the perfect passive, equivalent to English “the bill has been paid,” and emphasises the event. Regningen er betalt simply states the present result (the bill is paid) and is more idiomatic when you only care that it’s already done.

What’s the difference between betalte and betalt?

Betalte = preterite (simple past): Jeg betalte regningen (“I paid the bill”).
Betalt = past participle (used with har in perfect tenses or with er/blir in passives).

Why is regningen definite? Why not en regning?

The -en ending is the Norwegian definite article (“the”). We use Regningen because we’re talking about a specific bill (e.g. the one you just got), not any bill in general.

How do I ask “Has the bill been paid?” in Norwegian?

Invert verb and subject:

Er regningen betalt? (“Is the bill paid?”)
Or more generally: Er det betalt? (“Is it paid?”), when the context makes it clear you mean the bill.

How would I say “I have paid the bill” in active voice?

Use the perfect tense with har + past participle:

Jeg har betalt regningen. (“I have paid the bill.”)
You can also use the simple past:
Jeg betalte regningen. (“I paid the bill.”)

How do I say “The bill was paid by him” or “by me” in passive?

Add the agent after av:

Regningen er betalt av ham. (“The bill is paid by him.”)
Regningen er betalt av meg. (“The bill is paid by me.”)
In everyday speech you might instead say Han har betalt regningen or Jeg har betalt den.

Can I replace regningen with det?

Yes. Det er betalt. means “It’s paid” or “That’s paid.” It’s common in situations like a restaurant. If you need to specify which thing is paid, use regningen, otherwise det works fine.