Ved kontantkassen er det bare å legge prislappen.

Here ved means at, by, or near.

So Ved kontantkassen means something like at the cash register / by the checkout.

In Norwegian, ved is often used for location near a person, place, or object:

• ved døra = by the door
• ved bordet = at the table
• ved kassen = at the checkout

It does not mean on in this sentence, so English speakers should not translate it too literally.

Because kontantkassen is the definite form: the cash register / the checkout.

Norwegian often uses the definite form when referring to a specific, known place in a situation. If you are talking about the checkout in a shop, it is natural to say:

• kontantkassen = the cash register

Compare:

• en kontantkasse = a cash register
• kontantkassen = the cash register

The ending -en marks the definite singular for this masculine noun.

Literally, it is something like the cash till / cash register.

Depending on context, an English translation might be:

• the cash register
• the checkout
• the till

A learner should know that exact English wording may vary. Norwegian often uses one noun where English might choose a slightly different word depending on the situation.

This is a very common Norwegian expression. Det er bare å + infinitive means:

• you just have to ...
• all you need to do is ...
• just ...

So:

• Det er bare å legge prislappen
  = You just have to put down/place the price tag

It is an idiomatic structure, so it is best learned as a chunk.

More examples:

• Det er bare å ringe. = Just call.
• Det er bare å vente. = You just have to wait.
• Det er bare å prøve. = Just try.

The det here is a grammatical subject, often called a dummy subject. English does something similar in sentences like:

• It is easy to see
• It is important to remember

Norwegian also often uses det in this kind of structure:

• Det er lett å forstå.
• Det er vanskelig å forklare.
• Det er bare å legge prislappen.

So the det does not refer to a specific object. It is just required by the sentence structure.

This is because of normal Norwegian V2 word order.

In main clauses, the finite verb usually comes in second position. If something other than the subject comes first, the verb still stays second, and the subject comes after it.

Basic pattern:

• Det er bare å legge prislappen ved kontantkassen.

When Ved kontantkassen is moved to the front for emphasis or style, the word order changes:

• Ved kontantkassen er det bare å legge prislappen.

So this is not unusual. It is standard Norwegian word order.

Because it comes after å, and å + infinitive is the normal infinitive structure in Norwegian.

So:

• å legge = to put / to place / to lay

In det er bare å legge prislappen, the phrase after å explains what action should be done.

Compare:

• å spise = to eat
• å betale = to pay
• å vente = to wait

Legge usually means to lay, to put, or to place.

In this sentence, the most natural English meaning is probably put or place.

That is because legge often implies placing something somewhere:

• legge boka på bordet = put the book on the table
• legge nøklene her = put the keys here

So in this sentence, it means putting or placing the price tag at the checkout.

Because it is the definite form: the price tag.

• en prislapp = a price tag
• prislappen = the price tag

The sentence is talking about a specific tag relevant to the situation, so the definite form is natural.

Norwegian uses definite forms very often where English also uses the.

It is a compound noun:

• pris = price
• lapp = slip / tag / label

So prislapp literally means something like price tag or price label.

Compound nouns are extremely common in Norwegian, and the last part usually tells you the basic type of thing it is. Here, it is a kind of lapp.

Usually no, not in the same sense.

• ved kontantkassen = at/by the cash register
• på kontantkassen would sound more like on top of the cash register

So ved is the natural choice for location near the checkout area.

English speakers often overuse på because it can correspond to on, but Norwegian uses different prepositions depending on the exact spatial meaning.

It is understandable, but in modern everyday Norwegian, people may often say simpler things like:

• kassa
• kassen
• i kassa
• ved kassen

Depending on region and context, kontantkassen can sound a bit more specific or formal. Still, it is perfectly understandable as referring to the cash register / checkout area.

A learner should be aware that real-life Norwegian often prefers shorter forms.

Not exactly a direct command, but it has an instruction-like meaning.

A direct command would be something like:

• Legg prislappen ved kontantkassen. = Put the price tag at the cash register.

But Ved kontantkassen er det bare å legge prislappen is softer and more impersonal. It means something like:

• At the cash register, you just put the price tag down
• At the checkout, all you need to do is place the price tag

This kind of wording is common in instructions, notices, and explanations.

Probably these three things:

1. Fronted adverbial + V2 word order

   • Ved kontantkassen er det ...

2. Det er bare å + infinitive

   • det er bare å legge

3. Definite noun forms

   • kontantkassen
   • prislappen

If a learner understands those three points, the whole sentence becomes much easier to recognize and reuse.