Formålet er å hjelpe.

Because formålet is the definite form of the noun formål.

• et formål = a purpose
• formålet = the purpose

In this sentence, Norwegian is talking about a specific purpose, so it uses the definite form.

Formål is a neuter noun in Norwegian.

For many neuter nouns:

• indefinite singular: et formål
• definite singular: formålet

So the ending -et marks the on a neuter noun.

In Norwegian, the definite article is often added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word.

So:

• English: the purpose
• Norwegian: formålet

This is very common in Scandinavian languages.

Er is the present tense of å være (to be).

So:

• å være = to be
• er = is / are / am depending on context

In this sentence, er means is:

• Formålet er ... = The purpose is ...

Here, å hjelpe is an infinitive phrase meaning to help.

After er, Norwegian can use an infinitive phrase to say what something is, means, or consists of.

So the structure is:

• Formålet = the purpose
• er = is
• å hjelpe = to help

This is very similar to English:

• The purpose is to help

Å is the infinitive marker, like English to before a verb.

So:

• hjelpe = help
• å hjelpe = to help

You will often see this after another verb or after expressions like this one.

Yes. Hjelpe is the infinitive form of the verb.

Its basic forms are:

• å hjelpe = to help
• hjelper = help(s), am/is/are helping depending on context
• hjalp = helped
• har hjulpet = have/has helped

In this sentence, the infinitive is needed because the sentence says what the purpose is.

This is normal Norwegian main-clause word order:

• subject: Formålet
• verb: er
• complement: å hjelpe

So the sentence follows the basic pattern: subject + verb + rest

Norwegian is a V2 language, which means the finite verb is usually in the second position in main clauses. Here that happens naturally because the subject comes first.

It can stand alone, but in real usage it is often expanded.

For example:

• Formålet er å hjelpe barn. = The purpose is to help children.
• Formålet er å hjelpe deg. = The purpose is to help you.

Without an object, å hjelpe still works and sounds grammatical. It just sounds a bit general: to help.

A rough guide for an English speaker is:

• formålet ≈ FOR-mo-leh
• the å sounds like a long vowel somewhat like the vowel in British law, but exact pronunciation depends on dialect
• the final -et is usually unstressed

A few pronunciation notes:

• å is a separate letter in Norwegian
• stress is mainly on the first syllable: FOR-
• Norwegian pronunciation varies by dialect, so you may hear small differences

In standard Norwegian, the h in hj is usually not pronounced clearly as an English h.

So hjelpe sounds roughly like:

• YEL-peh or HYEL-peh depending on how carefully or regionally it is said

For many learners, it is enough to know that hj does not sound like the full English consonant cluster in help. The beginning is softer.

Yes, but it is not exactly the same.

• formål = purpose
• mål = goal / aim
• hensikt = intention / purpose

So:

• Formålet er å hjelpe = The purpose is to help
• Målet er å hjelpe = The goal is to help

These can overlap, but formål often sounds a bit more formal or abstract than mål.

For negation, ikke usually comes after the verb:

• Formålet er ikke å hjelpe. = The purpose is not to help.

For a yes/no question, the verb comes first:

• Er formålet å hjelpe? = Is the purpose to help?

These are very useful patterns to practice with other sentences too.