Hunden prøver å bite.

Because hunden is the definite singular form: the dog.

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun:

• en hund = a dog
• hunden = the dog

So the -en ending here works like English the.

Prøver is the present tense of the verb å prøve.

So:

• å prøve = to try
• prøver = try / tries / am trying / is trying / are trying, depending on context

Norwegian verbs do not change for different persons the way English verbs do. So the same form is used with all subjects:

• jeg prøver
• du prøver
• hunden prøver

Here å is the infinitive marker, similar to English to.

So:

• å bite = to bite

After prøver, Norwegian normally uses å + infinitive:

• prøver å bite = tries to bite / is trying to bite

This is a very common pattern:

• prøver å sove = tries to sleep
• prøver å lære = tries to learn

Yes. In this sentence, bite is the infinitive verb after å.

Its basic forms are:

• å bite = infinitive
• biter = present
• beit = past
• bitt = past participle

So in Hunden prøver å bite, bite means to bite, not bites.

Norwegian usually uses the simple present where English often uses either simple present or present progressive.

So prøver can mean:

• tries
• is trying

Likewise, the whole sentence can mean either:

• The dog tries to bite
• The dog is trying to bite

The exact nuance usually comes from context, not from a special verb form.

Yes. The object can be left out if it is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context.

So Hunden prøver å bite is a natural sentence even without an object. It means the dog is attempting to bite someone or something, but the sentence does not specify whom or what.

If you want to add an object, you can:

• Hunden prøver å bite meg. = The dog is trying to bite me.
• Hunden prøver å bite mannen. = The dog is trying to bite the man.

The order is:

subject + finite verb + infinitive phrase

So here:

• Hunden = subject
• prøver = finite verb
• å bite = infinitive phrase

This is the normal pattern in a simple main clause.

Norwegian main clauses also follow the V2 rule, which means the finite verb is in the second position. In this sentence, the subject comes first, so the verb naturally comes next.

For example:

• Hunden prøver å bite.
• Nå prøver hunden å bite.

In both sentences, the finite verb prøver is in second position.

That would be:

En hund prøver å bite.

Compare:

• en hund = a dog
• hunden = the dog

So the difference is only whether the noun is indefinite or definite.

Yes, very common. Prøve å + infinitive is the normal everyday way to say try to do something.

Examples:

• Jeg prøver å forstå. = I’m trying to understand.
• Hun prøver å hjelpe. = She is trying to help.
• Vi prøver å finne veien. = We are trying to find the way.

So prøver å bite is a very standard construction.

A simple learner-friendly approximation is:

HOON-den PRUR-ver oh BEE-teh

A few pronunciation notes:

• u in hunden is not exactly like English oo, but that approximation helps at first.
• ø in prøver is a special Norwegian vowel with no exact English match.
• å is pronounced like a long vowel, roughly similar to the vowel in some pronunciations of more without the r.
• The final e in bite is pronounced, so it is BEE-teh, not like English bite.

If you want, I can also break the whole sentence down by syllable and stress.