Hunden liker fôret.

Because hunden is the definite singular form of hund.

• hund = a dog
• hunden = the dog

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

Since hund is a common-gender noun, its definite singular ending is usually -en:

• en hund = a dog
• hunden = the dog

Because fôret is the definite singular form of fôr.

• fôr = feed / fodder
• fôret = the feed

Here, fôr is a neuter noun, and neuter nouns often take -et in the definite singular:

• et fôr = a feed / a type of feed
• fôret = the feed

So the sentence is using definite nouns on both sides:

• Hunden = the dog
• fôret = the feed

The mark over ô is a circumflex. It is not a separate letter in the Norwegian alphabet, but it appears in a small number of words.

In fôr, it helps distinguish this word from for, which is a very common word meaning things like for, because, or too depending on context.

So:

• for = a common function word
• fôr = feed / fodder

For a learner, the safest approach is simply to memorize fôr as the noun meaning animal feed.

Yes. The infinitive is å like = to like, and liker is the present tense:

• å like = to like
• liker = like / likes / am liking / is liking depending on context

In this sentence, it simply means likes.

A useful thing to know is that Norwegian verbs do not change according to the subject the way English verbs sometimes do. You say:

• jeg liker = I like
• du liker = you like
• hunden liker = the dog likes
• vi liker = we like

The verb form stays the same.

Because Norwegian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word.

So English the dog becomes hunden, not a separate word plus noun.

The same thing happens with fôret:

• the feed = fôret

However, when there is an adjective, Norwegian often uses double definiteness:

• den store hunden = the big dog
• det gode fôret = the good feed

So in a simple noun like this, the ending alone is enough.

This sentence follows the normal Norwegian main-clause pattern:

Subject + Verb + Object

• Hunden = subject
• liker = verb
• fôret = object

So it is directly parallel to English The dog likes the feed.

Norwegian usually keeps the verb in the second position in main clauses. In a simple sentence like this, that gives you the standard order:

• Hunden liker fôret

If you move another element to the front, the verb still stays second:

• I dag liker hunden fôret = Today, the dog likes the feed

Not exactly. Fôr usually refers to animal feed, fodder, or something given to animals to eat. It is more specific than mat.

• mat = food in a general sense
• fôr = feed for animals

So Hunden liker fôret sounds more like The dog likes the feed/dog food than The dog likes the food in the broadest possible sense.

If you wanted a more general word, mat might be used in other contexts, but fôr is very natural when talking about animal feed.

Because å is used with the infinitive, not with a finite verb in a normal sentence.

• å like = to like
• liker = like / likes

In Hunden liker fôret, liker is the conjugated verb of the sentence, so you do not use å.

You would only use å if you were naming the verb itself or using another structure with an infinitive, for example:

• Hunden ser ut til å like fôret = The dog seems to like the feed

The two nouns have different genders:

• hund is common gender
• fôr is neuter

That matters because gender affects articles and definite endings.

For hund:

• en hund
• hunden

For fôr:

• et fôr
• fôret

So the different endings in the sentence are not random. They reflect the gender of each noun:

• common gender often gives -en
• neuter often gives -et