Learn Hardcore Norwegian: En frisk blomst på bordet forbedrer helsen, sier legen. - A fresh flower on the table improves health, says the doctor.

blomst is a common-gender noun in Bokmål, so it takes the indefinite article en (equivalent to English “a”/“an”). Neuter nouns (like et hus) would use et.

Why doesn’t frisk have an ending like -t or -e?

Norwegian adjectives follow weak vs. strong declension patterns. Here frisk modifies an indefinite singular common-gender noun (en blomst), so it takes the weak form with no ending.
• If it were neuter: et friskt eple (adds -t).
• If it were definite or plural: de friske blomstene (adds -e).

Why is the table written as bordet rather than et bord?

bordet is the definite singular form of bord (“table”), marked by the suffix -et (“the table”). You’d use på et bord (“on a table”) if you meant any table; på bordet implies a specific or already known table.

Why do we use på for “on the table” and not i?

In Norwegian, på is used for surfaces or “on top of” something (e.g. på bordet, på gulvet), while i is used for “in” or enclosed spaces (e.g. i boksen, i hagen).

What does the -n in helsen do?

The suffix -n marks the definite singular form of helse (“health”), so helsen = “the health.” Abstract nouns like helse often appear in the definite form when discussing a general concept (e.g. å bevare helsen = “to preserve health”).

Can på bordet be moved elsewhere in the sentence? How flexible is the word order?

Norwegian main clauses typically follow Subject–Verb–Object, with adverbials in the “middle field.” Here på bordet (a place adverbial) sits between subject and verb. You can:
• Move it to the end: En frisk blomst forbedrer helsen på bordet.
• Front it for emphasis (but keep the verb second):
På bordet forbedrer en frisk blomst helsen.
Moving an adverbial to the first position triggers the verb to remain in second place, pushing the subject after the verb.

Why is there a comma before sier legen, and why is it sier legen (V–S) instead of legen sier (S–V)?

When you attach a reporting clause after a statement without using at, you place a comma and then invert to Verb–Subject order. So:
…forbedrer helsen, sier legen.
In indirect speech (with at), you keep Subject–Verb:
Legen sier at en frisk blomst …

Why is there no at before the clause? When would you add at?

No at is used because this is a direct reporting tag (…, sier legen). If you wanted indirect speech, you’d write:
Legen sier at en frisk blomst på bordet forbedrer helsen.
Here at introduces a subordinate clause and you use normal S-V order.

What’s the difference between frisk and fersk? Could we say fersk blomst?

• frisk means “healthy,” “vigorous,” or “fresh” in the sense of vitality (a healthy person, fresh air, a bright flower).
• fersk means “fresh” in the sense of recently harvested or manufactured (food, news, bread).
For a living, healthy flower you’d use frisk blomst. Fersk blomst sounds odd, as fersk is typically for food or material goods.