Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Stipendet gjør det mulig å ta et ekstra nettkurs i norsk. - The grant makes it possible to take an extra online course in Norwegian.

In the sentence, stipendet suggests a specific scholarship already known in the context (for example, “the scholarship I got from the university”). That’s why the definite form stipendet is used instead of the indefinite et stipend.

What does gjør det mulig literally mean, and why do we need det there?

gjør det mulig literally means “makes it possible.”

gjør = makes / does
det = it
mulig = possible

Norwegian often uses gjøre det + adjektiv as a fixed pattern:

gjøre det mulig = make it possible
gjøre det vanskelig = make it difficult

You normally cannot just say gjør mulig å ta …; you need det as a kind of “dummy object.” So stipendet gjør det mulig å ta… mirrors English “the scholarship makes it possible to take…”.

What is the function of å in å ta et ekstra nettkurs?

å is the infinitive marker, like “to” in English.

ta = take
å ta = to take

In the pattern gjøre det mulig å + infinitive, the verb after å is always in the infinitive form:

gjør det mulig å ta … = makes it possible to take …
gjør det mulig å reise … = makes it possible to travel …

So å is not “and”; it just shows that ta is an infinitive.

Why is it ta et (nett)kurs and not something like gjøre et kurs?

With courses, Norwegian uses the verb ta (literally “take”), just like English:

ta et kurs = take a course
ta et nettkurs = take an online course

gjøre is more “do” in a general sense (do homework, do the dishes, do something). For organized courses or classes, ta et kurs is the natural expression.

Why is it et ekstra nettkurs and not en ekstra nettkurs?

The article depends on the grammatical gender of the noun.

kurs is a neuter noun: et kurs (a course), kurset (the course)
nettkurs is still neuter, because it’s just nett + kurs as a compound

Neuter nouns take et in the singular indefinite:

et kurs, et nettkurs, et ekstra nettkurs

Using en would be wrong here because en is for masculine nouns.

Is ekstra an adjective, and does it change form?

Yes, ekstra functions like an adjective meaning “extra,” but in practice it’s invariable: it doesn’t change for gender, number, or definiteness.

So you say:

et ekstra kurs (a/an extra course)
en ekstra time (an extra hour)
to ekstra kurs (two extra courses)
de ekstra timene (the extra hours)

In all these, ekstra keeps the same form.

What exactly is nettkurs?

nettkurs is a compound noun:

nett = the internet / web
kurs = course

Together, nettkurs = online course / internet course.

Compounds like this are very common in Norwegian, and they’re written as one word: nettkurs, not nett kurs.

Why is it i norsk and not på norsk at the end?

The choice of preposition and meaning is important:

et kurs i norsk = a course in Norwegian (Norwegian is the subject of the course)
snakke på norsk = speak in Norwegian (Norwegian is the language used)

With school subjects or fields of study, Norwegian uses i:

et kurs i norsk / i matematikk / i historie

So et nettkurs i norsk means “an online course in the Norwegian language.” If you said nettkurs på norsk, it would more likely mean “an online course (about something) that is delivered in Norwegian.”

Why is the whole infinitive phrase å ta et ekstra nettkurs i norsk at the end of the sentence?

Norwegian word order normally puts the infinitive clause after the main clause in this construction:

Stipendet gjør det mulig å ta et ekstra nettkurs i norsk.

The pattern is:

[Subject] + [verb] + det + [adjective] + å + [infinitive phrase]

So you get:

Stipendet (subject)
gjør (verb)
det (object/dummy)
mulig (adjective)
å ta et ekstra nettkurs i norsk (infinitive clause)

Reordering this would usually sound unnatural or wrong in Norwegian.

Why doesn’t the sentence mention a person like “for me” or “for us”?

Norwegian can leave that part out if it’s obvious from context.

Stipendet gjør det mulig å ta et ekstra nettkurs i norsk.

could be expanded to:

Stipendet gjør det mulig for meg å ta … (for me)
Stipendet gjør det mulig for oss å ta … (for us)

The basic structure just states that the scholarship creates the possibility; for whom can be added if needed but is not grammatically required.

Could you also say Stipendet gjør at jeg kan ta et ekstra nettkurs i norsk? What’s the difference?

Yes, that is also correct:

Stipendet gjør at jeg kan ta et ekstra nettkurs i norsk.
= The scholarship makes it so that I can take an extra online course in Norwegian.

Differences in nuance:

gjør det mulig å ta … is more compact and a bit more formal or written-style.
gjør at jeg kan ta … is slightly more explicit and conversational.

Both are natural; the original sentence uses a more “standard formal” structure.

What tense is gjør here, and would it change for different subjects?

gjør is the present tense of gjøre (to do/make). Norwegian verbs don’t change for person or number, so it stays gjør no matter the subject:

Jeg gjør (I make/do)
Vi gjør (we make/do)
Stipendet gjør (the scholarship makes)

So in this sentence, gjør simply shows that it’s happening in the present.

Why is mulig not inflected in any way? Shouldn’t it agree with something?

mulig is an adjective, but here it’s used predicatively in a fixed expression gjøre det mulig. In that expression, mulig stays in the basic form; you don’t mark gender or number on it.

You would inflect mulig when it directly describes a noun:

en mulig løsning (a possible solution)
et mulig problem (a possible problem)
mulige løsninger (possible solutions)

In gjøre det mulig, mulig is describing the “situation” rather than a specific noun, so it keeps the base form.