Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Puten i lenestolen er for hard. - The cushion in the armchair is too hard.

There is also a form with a free-standing article (e.g. den puten), but that has extra emphasis or a specific grammatical use. The default “the X” is just X + -en / -et / -a.

Why is it i lenestolen and not på lenestolen?

Because i means in / inside, while på means on / on top of.

i lenestolen = in the armchair (inside the seat area / on the inside)
på lenestolen = on the armchair (lying on top of it, maybe on the armrest or back)

A cushion is usually thought of as being in the armchair (where you sit), so i lenestolen is the natural choice.

What is the difference between lenestol and stol?

stol = chair (any normal chair)
lenestol = armchair (a comfortable, usually upholstered chair with armrests)

So:

stol – a generic chair (kitchen chair, dining chair, office chair, etc.)
lenestol – the comfy living‑room type chair you relax in.

Why is it for hard? Does for mean too here?

Yes. In this sentence for is an adverb meaning too (in the sense of “too much”):

for hard = too hard
for stor = too big
for dyr = too expensive

Be careful: for is a very common word in Norwegian and can also be a preposition:

for deg – for you
for lenge – for too long

You understand the meaning from context:

With an adjective (hard, stor, dyr, kald) → usually “too”
With a noun or pronoun (deg, ham, jobben) → usually “for”

Why is the adjective hard not changed? Why isn’t it hardt or harde?

In a sentence of the form [noun] + er + [adjective], the adjective agrees with the noun’s gender and number.

The base pattern is:

Masculine / feminine singular: hard
Neuter singular: hardt
Plural: harde

Examples:

Puten er hard. – The cushion (m/f) is hard.
Huset er hardt. – The house (neuter) is hard.
Putene er harde. – The cushions are hard.

Since pute is masculine or feminine (not neuter), you use the masculine/feminine form hard:

Puten i lenestolen er for hard.

Is pute masculine or feminine?

Pute can be treated as masculine or feminine in Bokmål. Dictionaries often write en/ei pute.

This gives two possible definite forms:

Masculine pattern:
- en pute – a cushion
- puten – the cushion
Feminine pattern:
- ei pute – a cushion
- puta – the cushion

Both are correct in Bokmål. Many learners are first taught the masculine form (en pute, puten), but you’ll also hear native speakers say ei pute, puta.

So could I also say Puta i lenestolen er for hard?

Yes, absolutely. That’s a perfectly natural Bokmål sentence, just using the feminine form:

Puten i lenestolen er for hard. – masculine agreement
Puta i lenestolen er for hard. – feminine agreement

Both are correct; which one people use depends on dialect, personal preference, and writing style. Textbooks often stick to the masculine version for simplicity.

Why is it lenestolen and not just lenestol?

Same reason as with puten: you are talking about a specific armchair, so you use the definite form:

en lenestol – an armchair
lenestolen – the armchair

The sentence is about the cushion in the armchair (not in some random armchair), so both nouns are definite:

Puten i lenestolen er for hard.
– The cushion (definite) in the armchair (definite) is too hard.

How do you pronounce Puten i lenestolen er for hard?

One careful standard pronunciation (Eastern Norwegian) in IPA:

Puten i lenestolen er for hard
/ˈpʉːtən i ˈleːnəˌstuːlən ær fɔr hɑːɾ/

Some tips:

pu in puten: like German ü or French u in tu.
Stress: PÚ-ten and LÉ-ne-sto-len (main stress on the first syllable).
r is often a tapped sound, like a very quick Spanish r.
for is usually pronounced a bit like English for but shorter.