Spaden ligger ved grønnsaksbedet.

Because spaden is the definite form of spade.

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

• en spade = a shovel
• spaden = the shovel

So spaden means that we are talking about a specific shovel, not just any shovel.

For the same reason: it is also in the definite form.

The base noun is et bed = a bed, plot, or garden bed.
The definite form is bedet = the bed.

In the full compound noun:

• et grønnsaksbed = a vegetable bed
• grønnsaksbedet = the vegetable bed

The ending -et shows that grønnsaksbed is a neuter noun.

Because Norwegian usually writes compound nouns as one word.

So:

• grønnsak = vegetable
• bed = bed, plot

Together they become:

• grønnsaksbed = vegetable bed

This is very normal in Norwegian. English often uses two words where Norwegian uses one.

That -s- is a linking sound/letter often used in Norwegian compounds.

Here:

• grønnsak
  • bed
• becomes grønnsaksbed

You cannot always predict perfectly when Norwegian will use this linking -s-, so it is often something learners just get used to by seeing many examples.

Norwegian often prefers position verbs like ligger, står, and sitter where English might simply use is.

Here, ligger is used because the shovel is understood as being in a lying position, typically on the ground.

So:

• Spaden er ved grønnsaksbedet = possible, but less natural in many contexts
• Spaden ligger ved grønnsaksbedet = more natural if the shovel is lying there

This is a very common feature of Norwegian.

The infinitive is å ligge = to lie.

ligger is the present tense:

• å ligge = to lie
• ligger = lies / is lying

So the sentence is in the present tense.

No. It can also be used for objects and places.

Common uses include:

• something physically lying somewhere
• something being located somewhere

Examples:

• Boken ligger på bordet = The book is on the table
• Byen ligger ved kysten = The city is on the coast

So in your sentence, ligger is perfectly normal for an object like a shovel.

Ved means something like by, near, or next to, depending on context.

In this sentence, it shows location:

• ved grønnsaksbedet = by the vegetable bed / next to the vegetable bed

It does not necessarily mean direct physical contact. It usually just means nearby.

The word order is:

• Spaden = subject
• ligger = verb
• ved grønnsaksbedet = prepositional phrase showing location

So the pattern is:

Subject + verb + place

That is the normal word order for a simple statement in Norwegian.

Yes, grammatically you could, but it means something different.

• Spaden ligger ved grønnsaksbedet = The shovel is by the vegetable bed
• En spade ligger ved et grønnsaksbed = A shovel is by a vegetable bed

The original sentence uses definite forms, so it refers to specific things already known in the context.

A rough learner-friendly breakdown is:

GRUNN-saks-beh-det

A few important points:

• ø does not sound like English o
• grønn has a short vowel sound
• the compound is spoken as one word
• the stress is mainly near the beginning, on grønn

You do not need perfect pronunciation right away, but it helps to hear native audio because vowels like ø are hard to learn from spelling alone.

Not in the usual sleeping sense.

In Norwegian, et bed often means a flower bed or garden bed, as in an area where plants grow.

So grønnsaksbed means a bed for vegetables, not anything related to a bed for sleeping.

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

Compare:

• English: the shovel

• Norwegian: spaden

• English: the vegetable bed
• Norwegian: grønnsaksbedet

This is one of the first big grammar differences English speakers notice in Norwegian.