Vennskap er viktig for min mentale helse.

Friendship is important for my mental health.

Breakdown of Vennskap er viktig for min mentale helse.

• være: to be
• viktig: important
• min: my
• for: for

Questions & Answers about Vennskap er viktig for min mentale helse.

Why is there no article before vennskap?

In Norwegian, general statements about abstract or uncountable things often use no article.

• Vennskap er viktig ... = Friendship is important ... (friendship in general)
• Similarly: Vann er nødvendig. = Water is necessary.

You would only use an article if you were talking about a specific friendship:

• Det vennskapet vi har, er viktig. = That friendship we have is important.

So in your sentence, vennskap is used in a general, abstract sense, so there is no article.

Is vennskap singular or plural here? Can it be plural?

In this sentence, vennskap is singular and uncountable, referring to the concept of friendship.

There is a plural form vennskap / vennskapene, but it’s mostly used when you really want to talk about separate individual friendships:

• Jeg har mange nære vennskap.
  I have many close friendships.

In everyday speech, Norwegians often keep it in the singular, even when English might use a plural:

• Vennskap er viktig. (Singular, general)
• Friendships are important. (Plural in English)

So your sentence uses vennskap in the general, uncountable sense.

Why is the preposition for used in and not ?