Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Etter løpeturen er jeg mindre stresset.

In this sentence, you are talking about a particular run you went on, so Norwegian prefers the definite:
Etter løpeturen er jeg mindre stresset.
= After the run, I am less stressed.

Using etter løpetur would sound incomplete or unnatural, like saying after run in English.

What exactly does løpetur mean?

løpetur is a compound:

løpe = to run
tur = trip / outing / walk

Together, løpetur means something like “a running trip”, i.e. going for a run as exercise or an outing.

So etter løpeturen is more like “after my/that run (as a workout)” than just “after running in general”.

What gender is løpetur, and how do I form its different forms?

løpetur is a masculine noun.

Key forms in Bokmål:

Indefinite singular: en løpetur – a run
Definite singular: løpeturen – the run
Indefinite plural: løpeturer – runs
Definite plural: løpeturene – the runs

In the sentence you have the definite singular: løpeturen.

Can I also say Jeg er mindre stresset etter løpeturen? Is that correct?

Yes, that is completely correct:

Etter løpeturen er jeg mindre stresset.
Jeg er mindre stresset etter løpeturen.

Both mean the same thing. The difference is just emphasis:

Starting with Etter løpeturen puts a little extra focus on the time/condition (“after the run”).
Starting with Jeg is a more neutral word order, like English: I am less stressed after the run.

Why does the verb come right after Etter løpeturen? Why not Etter løpeturen jeg er …?

Norwegian has a V2 word order rule in main clauses: the finite verb (here er) must be in second position in the sentence.

In your sentence:

Etter løpeturen = first element (a time phrase)
er = verb in second position
jeg = subject
mindre stresset = rest of the predicate

So:

Etter løpeturen er jeg mindre stresset. ✅
Etter løpeturen jeg er mindre stresset. ❌ (breaks the V2 rule)

Is etter a preposition here? How is it different from etter at?

Yes, etter is a preposition here, followed by a noun phrase:

etter løpeturen = after the run

You use etter at when it’s followed by a clause (a subject + verb), not just a noun:

Etter at jeg har løpt, er jeg mindre stresset.
= After I have run, I am less stressed.

So:

etter + noun → etter løpeturen
etter at + clause → etter at jeg har løpt

Why is it er jeg mindre stresset and not blir jeg mindre stresset?

Both are possible, but they mean slightly different things:

er jeg mindre stresset = I am less stressed (describes your state after the run)
blir jeg mindre stresset = I become less stressed (focuses on the change that happens because of the run)

So:

Etter løpeturen er jeg mindre stresset. – describes the result state.
Etter løpeturen blir jeg mindre stresset. – emphasizes the process of becoming less stressed.

What kind of word is stresset here? Is it an adjective or a verb form?

Formally, stresset is the past participle of the verb å stresse (to stress). But in practice, in this sentence it functions as an adjective, just like English stressed.

Some points:

It doesn’t change for gender/number when it’s used after the verb er:
- Jeg er stresset. – I am stressed.
- Vi er stresset. – We are stressed. (colloquial; in more careful language: stressede)
With a noun, you more clearly see adjective agreement:
- en stresset person – a stressed person
- to stressede personer – two stressed people

So here: er jeg mindre stresset = I am less stressed (adjective use).

Can I say mindre stress instead of mindre stresset? What’s the difference?

Both are possible, but they say slightly different things:

mindre stresset – less stressed (your feeling/state)
mindre stress – less stress (the amount of stress)

Examples:

Etter løpeturen er jeg mindre stresset.
= I feel less stressed.
Etter løpeturen har jeg mindre stress.
= I have less stress (there are fewer stressful things / less pressure).

In your sentence, talking about how you feel, mindre stresset is the most natural choice.

Can I say Etter å løpe or Etter å ha løpt instead of Etter løpeturen?

Etter å løpe ❌ – This is not idiomatic Norwegian; it sounds wrong.
Etter å ha løpt ✅ – Grammatically correct, but often feels a bit heavier and more formal.

More natural options:

Etter løpeturen er jeg mindre stresset.
Etter at jeg har løpt, er jeg mindre stresset.

Use etter å ha + past participle when you must use an infinitive construction (e.g. after some verbs), but with simple everyday sentences, Norwegians usually prefer etter + noun or etter at + clause.

Why isn’t jeg capitalized like I in English?

In Norwegian, the pronoun jeg (I) is not capitalized in the middle of a sentence. It’s written just like other pronouns:

jeg = I
du = you
han = he
hun = she

You only capitalize jeg at the beginning of a sentence:

Jeg er mindre stresset.
Etter løpeturen er jeg mindre stresset.

English is unusual in always capitalizing I; Norwegian does not follow that rule.

How would I say “After running, I feel less stressed” in Norwegian? Do I need føler meg?

Two natural versions:

Etter løpeturen føler jeg meg mindre stresset.
Etter løpeturen er jeg mindre stresset.

føler meg mindre stresset literally = feel less stressed.
er mindre stresset = am less stressed, but in many contexts it effectively means the same.

Both are perfectly natural; Norwegians don’t always need føler meg to express how they feel.

How do you pronounce løpeturen and stresset?

Approximate pronunciation (Eastern Norwegian):

løpeturen: LØ-pe-tu-ren
- lø like the vowel in British bird, but with rounded lips
- pe like peh
- tu like too
- ren like ren in rent but shorter
stresset: STRES-set
- stress like English stress
- et like a very short eh sound

Main stress:

LØ in løpeturen
STRES in stresset