Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Læringsmålet er tydelig i dag.

So -et is the definite singular ending for a neuter noun, and læringsmålet literally means “the learning goal.” There is no separate word like “the.”

What is the basic form and gender of læringsmålet?

The basic (dictionary) form is læringsmål.

læringsmål is a neuter noun (et-ord).
Indefinite singular: et læringsmål (a learning goal)
Definite singular: læringsmålet (the learning goal)
Indefinite plural: læringsmål (learning goals)
Definite plural: læringsmålene (the learning goals)

Because it is neuter, the definite ending is -et (as in målet).

Is læringsmål a compound word? What are its parts?

Yes, læringsmål is a compound:

læring = learning
The -s- is a linking sound often used in compounds.
mål = goal / aim / target

So læringsmål literally means “learning-goal” or “goal for learning.” The s in the middle is not possessive in the English sense; it is just a common linking element in Norwegian compounds.

Why is there no article like “a” or “the” in front of Læringsmålet?

Norwegian usually does not use a separate article before a definite noun. The definiteness is already built into the word via the ending:

et læringsmål = a learning goal (indefinite, needs the article et)
læringsmålet = the learning goal (definite, the -et ending replaces “the”)

So you cannot say ✗ det læringsmålet er tydelig here in the same way you’d say “the learning goal is clear.” The definite ending alone is correct: Læringsmålet er tydelig i dag.

Could I also say I dag er læringsmålet tydelig? Is that different in meaning?

Yes, I dag er læringsmålet tydelig is also correct and natural.

Læringsmålet er tydelig i dag.
I dag er læringsmålet tydelig.

The meaning is basically the same.
The difference is in focus / emphasis:

Starting with Læringsmålet keeps the topic on the goal and adds “today” as extra information.
Starting with I dag puts more emphasis on today (“As for today, the learning goal is clear.”)

Both follow correct Norwegian word order rules.

Why is i dag written as two words and not idag?

In standard modern Bokmål, the correct spelling is i dag (two words):

i = in
dag = day

So it literally means “in (this) day” → “today.”
You may still see idag as one word in some informal writing or older texts, but the recommended and taught spelling in Bokmål today is i dag.

What does the preposition i do in i dag? Why not på dag?

The expression i dag is a fixed time expression that means “today.”

i can mean “in”, and in time expressions it often corresponds to English “in / on / this” depending on context.
You say i dag (today), i går (yesterday), i morgen (tomorrow).

You don’t say ✗ på dag to mean “today.” På is used in some other time expressions (e.g. på mandag = on Monday), but “today” is always i dag.

What is the difference between tydelig and klar? Could I say Læringsmålet er klart i dag?

Both tydelig and klar can translate to “clear”, but they have slightly different main uses:

tydelig: clear in the sense of easy to understand, unambiguous, visible.
- Læringsmålet er tydelig i dag. = The learning goal is clearly expressed / easy to see or understand.
klar: clear in the sense of ready, finished, or also “clear” (as in clear water, clear answer).
- Læringsmålet er klart i dag. is grammatically fine, but it more strongly suggests “the learning goal is ready / finalized today,” not so much “easy to understand.”

So tydelig is the more natural choice if you mean that the goal is understandable or well-formulated.

Why is the adjective tydelig not changed to match læringsmålet?

Actually, it does match, but tydelig has the same form for masculine and neuter singular:

Masculine: en tydelig tekst
Neuter: et tydelig mål
Plural: tydelige mål

Predicate adjectives (after er, blir, etc.) follow the same pattern:

Målet er tydelig. (The goal is clear.)
Målene er tydelige. (The goals are clear.)

So here:

Læringsmålet is neuter singular.
The correct form of the adjective is tydelig (not tydeligt).

You would only add -e in the plural: Læringsmålene er tydelige i dag.

Why is the verb er used? Does Norwegian have a continuous form like “is being”?

Er is the present tense of å være (to be), and it covers both:

“is”
“is being” (where English uses a continuous form)

Norwegian does not have a separate present continuous tense the way English does. So:

Læringsmålet er tydelig i dag.
can mean either:
“The learning goal is clear today.”
“The learning goal is being made clear today.” (depending on context)

You would not say ✗ er være or ✗ er værende here. Just er.

Could the sentence also be Dagens læringsmål er tydelig? If yes, what’s the difference?

Yes, Dagens læringsmål er tydelig. is correct and common in a classroom context.

Læringsmålet er tydelig i dag.
- Focuses on the learning goal and states that today it is clear.
Dagens læringsmål er tydelig.
- Literally: “Today’s learning goal is clear.”
- Emphasizes that the specific learning goal for today is clear.

You could also combine the styles:

Læringsmålet for i dag er tydelig. = “The learning goal for today is clear.”

How would the sentence change if there were several learning goals?

If there are several learning goals, you need plural forms:

Noun: læringsmålene = the learning goals (definite plural)
Adjective: tydelige = clear (plural form)

So the sentence becomes:

Læringsmålene er tydelige i dag.
→ “The learning goals are clear today.”

Notice both the noun and the adjective change form in the plural.

How do you pronounce Læringsmålet er tydelig i dag?

Approximate pronunciation in IPA (standard Eastern / Oslo-ish):

Læringsmålet: [ˈlæːrɪŋsˌmoːɫə]
er: [æːr] or [eːr] (both common)
tydelig: [ˈtʏːdəlɪ] (often with a very light or almost dropped final g)
i dag: [i ˈdɑːg]

Very rough English-style guide:

Læringsmålet ≈ “LAIR-ing-ss-moh-leh” (LAIR as in “lair”)
er ≈ “air”
tydelig ≈ “TEU-deh-lee” (with a Norwegian u between English “u” in “full” and “y” in “few”)
i dag ≈ “ee DAHG”

In normal speech the whole sentence flows together:
Læringsmålet er tydelig i dag. = “LAIR-ings-moh-leh air TEU-deh-lee ee DAHG.”