Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Staten tilbyr stipend til studenten. - The state offers a grant to the student.

The basic noun is stat = state.
Norwegian often marks definiteness with a suffix, not a separate word like the.
stat (indefinite) → staten (definite singular: the state).

So -en here is the definite ending for a masculine noun in the singular: staten = the state.

Is Staten the subject of the sentence, and is the word order like English?

Yes. The sentence follows a very English‑like Subject–Verb–Object pattern:

Staten = subject (the state).
tilbyr = verb (offers).
stipend = direct object (scholarship / grant).
til studenten = prepositional phrase indicating the recipient (to the student).

So structurally it’s much like English: “The state offers a scholarship to the student.”

What tense is tilbyr, and what is its basic form?

tilbyr is present tense of the verb å tilby (to offer).

Conjugation of tilby in Bokmål is regular for this pattern:

Infinitive: å tilby (to offer)
Present: tilbyr (offer / offers)
Preterite (simple past): tilbød (offered)
Past participle: tilbudt (offered)

Norwegian present tense (tilbyr) covers both English offer and offers (“I offer / he offers”). There’s no change for person (I/you/he etc.).

What’s the difference between tilbyr and gir?

Both can overlap in meaning, but there’s a nuance:

å tilby = to offer
- Focus on making something available, giving the option.
- Example: Staten tilbyr stipend = The state offers scholarships (they are available if you qualify).
å gi = to give
- Focus on actually handing over or granting something.
- Example: Staten gir studenten stipend = The state gives the student a scholarship (already decided / granted).

In your sentence, tilbyr suggests that the state offers a scholarship (perhaps as part of a program).

What exactly is stipend, and what is its grammatical gender and forms?

stipend usually means scholarship, grant, or stipend (money given for study or research).

Grammar (Bokmål):

Gender: neuter
Indefinite singular: et stipend (a scholarship)
Definite singular: stipendet (the scholarship)
Indefinite plural: stipender (scholarships)
Definite plural: stipendene (the scholarships).

In your sentence it appears without et: tilbyr stipend. That’s common when talking about something in a general or programmatic way (“offers scholarships” as a type of benefit), rather than one specific, countable item. You could also say et stipend if you want to stress a single scholarship being offered.

Why is there no article before stipend here? Why not et stipend?

Both are possible, but they feel slightly different:

Staten tilbyr stipend til studenten.
- More generic / programmatic: the state provides scholarship funding to the student (a type of support).
Staten tilbyr et stipend til studenten.
- Emphasizes one specific scholarship being offered.

Norwegian often omits the indefinite article with objects when talking about them in a more general or institutional sense, especially with things like support, help, food, education, etc.:

Kommunen tilbyr hjelp. = The municipality offers help.
Skolen tilbyr undervisning. = The school offers instruction.

Your sentence fits that pattern.

Why is it til studenten and not for studenten?

Both til and for can correspond to English to/for, but they’re used differently:

til = to in the sense of movement/transfer to a recipient.
- gi noe til noen = give something to someone.
- til studenten = to the student (the student receives the scholarship).
for = for in the sense of for the benefit of / on behalf of.
- Staten gjør mye for studentene. = The state does a lot for the students (in their interest).

So stipend til studenten focuses on who receives the scholarship. for studenten would sound more like "for the student’s benefit" in a broader sense, not necessarily a direct transfer.

Why is it studenten and not just student?

studenten is the definite singular form: “the student”.

Forms of student:

Indefinite singular: en student = a student
Definite singular: studenten = the student
Indefinite plural: studenter = students
Definite plural: studentene = the students.

Using studenten suggests a specific student (known from context) or, in some contexts, “the student” as a generic figure (e.g., in policy language).

If you wanted to talk about students in general, Staten tilbyr stipend til studenter (to students) or til studentene (to the students) would also be possible, depending on the meaning.

Is til studenten considered an indirect object like in English?

Functionally, yes.

stipend is the direct object (what is offered).
til studenten is a prepositional phrase expressing the recipient, which corresponds to what English calls the indirect object (to the student).

So the semantic roles line up with English:
The state (agent) offers (verb) a scholarship (direct object) to the student (indirect object / recipient).

Can I say Staten tilbyr studenten stipend without til? Is that correct?

Yes, that is also grammatically correct and quite natural:

Staten tilbyr studenten stipend.
literally: The state offers the student scholarship.

With tilby, Norwegian allows both patterns:

tilby noen noe = offer someone something (double object)
tilby noe til noen = offer something to someone (with til)

Your original sentence uses pattern 2. Many verbs of giving/offer in Norwegian behave this way (gi noen noe / gi noe til noen, etc.). The meaning difference here is minimal; it’s mostly a matter of style and rhythm.

Can I move parts of the sentence around, like in English, for emphasis?

Yes, but you must respect Norwegian V2 word order (the finite verb must be in second position in a main clause).

Original:

Staten tilbyr stipend til studenten.

You can front another element for emphasis, but tilbyr must stay second:

Til studenten tilbyr staten stipend. (Focus on to the student.)
Stipend tilbyr staten til studenten. (Unusual but possible in special emphasis contexts.)

What you cannot do in a main clause is put the verb somewhere other than in the second slot, e.g.:

✗ Staten stipend tilbyr til studenten. (incorrect)

So you can reorder for emphasis, but keep the verb second.

Does Staten always mean “the government,” or strictly “the state”?

Literally, staten = “the state” (the public sector / government apparatus).

In practice:

It often corresponds very closely to English “the government” or “the authorities”, especially in contexts of funding, regulations, and public services.
In political or legal contexts, staten can be more abstract, like the state as an institution.

In a sentence about scholarships, Staten is naturally understood as the national government / public sector providing financial aid.

How do you pronounce Staten tilbyr stipend til studenten?

Approximate pronunciation in an Eastern Norwegian accent (rough English–style hints, not strict IPA):

Staten ≈ STAH-ten (first syllable like start without r).
tilbyr ≈ TILL-byr (second part a bit like English “beer” but with rounded lips; one word, stress on TILL).
stipend ≈ sti-PEND (like “stee-PEND”; stress on the last syllable).
til ≈ til (like English till).
studenten ≈ stu-DEN-ten (u like the oo in good; stress on DEN).

Spoken smoothly: STA-ten TILL-byr sti-PEND til stu-DEN-ten.

Why is only the first word capitalized? Are nouns capitalized in Norwegian?

Norwegian capitalization is simpler than German and similar to English in this respect:

Only the first word of the sentence and proper nouns (names, countries, etc.) are capitalized.
Common nouns like staten, stipend, studenten are not capitalized in the middle of a sentence.

In your example, Staten is capitalized only because it is the first word of the sentence, not because state is treated as a proper name.