Handlingskortet ligger i kastebunken.

Because -et is the definite singular ending for many neuter nouns in Norwegian.

• et handlingskort = an action card
• handlingskortet = the action card

So instead of putting a separate word like the in front, Norwegian usually adds the definiteness to the end of the noun.

Here, kort is a neuter noun, so the definite ending is -et.

It is one word, and it is a compound noun.

It is built from:

• handling = action
• kort = card

So:

• handlingskort = action card
• handlingskortet = the action card

Norwegian uses compound nouns very often, much like German. English sometimes writes similar ideas as two words, but Norwegian often combines them into one.

A useful rule:

• In Norwegian compounds, the last part is the main noun.
• So kort tells you that the whole word is a kind of card.

Norwegian often uses verbs like ligge, stå, and sitte where English would simply use be.

Here, ligger literally means lies / is lying, but in many contexts it just means that something is located somewhere.

So Handlingskortet ligger i kastebunken is the natural way to say that the card is in that pile.

Why ligger here?

Because a card is thought of as something lying flat. Norwegian often chooses the verb based on the physical position of the object:

• ligge = lie, be lying
• stå = stand, be standing
• sitte = sit, be situated

You could sometimes hear er in simpler learner-style Norwegian, but ligger is more idiomatic here.

Kastebunken is also a compound noun in the definite singular.

It is made from:

• kaste = to throw/discard
• bunke = pile

So:

• en kastebunke = a discard pile
• kastebunken = the discard pile

The ending -en is the usual definite singular ending for many common-gender nouns.

So compare:

• et handlingskort → handlingskortet
• en kastebunke → kastebunken

Because Norwegian usually treats a pile, deck, or stack as something you are in rather than on, especially in game language.

So:

• i kastebunken = in the discard pile

Even though in English you might imagine a card sitting on a pile, Norwegian commonly uses i for this kind of container-like group or collection.

This is one of those places where it is best to learn the phrase as a natural chunk:

• ligge i bunken
• legge noe i kastebunken

Because Norwegian usually puts definiteness onto the noun itself.

Compare:

• et kort = a card
• kortet = the card
• en bunke = a pile
• bunken = the pile

So English uses a separate article (the), but Norwegian often uses a suffix instead.

A native English speaker often expects something like the handlingskort, but that is not how basic Norwegian normally works.

The word order is:

• Handlingskortet = subject
• ligger = verb
• i kastebunken = prepositional phrase showing location

So the pattern is the normal main-clause order:

Subject + verb + place

That gives:

Handlingskortet ligger i kastebunken.

If you move the place phrase to the front, Norwegian uses its normal V2 word order:

I kastebunken ligger handlingskortet.

Notice that the verb still stays in the second position.

Yes, people would understand you, and grammatically it is not impossible. But it is usually less natural than ligger in this context.

Why?

Because Norwegian often prefers a position verb when talking about where physical objects are located. Since a card is something that lies flat, ligger sounds more native-like.

So:

• Handlingskortet er i kastebunken = understandable
• Handlingskortet ligger i kastebunken = more idiomatic

You usually learn gender together with the noun:

• et kort → neuter
• en bunke → common gender

That helps you form the definite singular correctly:

• et kort → kortet
• en bunke → bunken

For compounds, the gender normally comes from the last element:

• handlingskort ends in kort, so it behaves like et kort
• kastebunke ends in bunke, so it behaves like en bunke

This is a very useful rule for compound nouns in Norwegian.

Yes. The definite singular form handlingskortet normally refers to a specific action card that both speaker and listener can identify from the context.

So the sentence is not about action cards in general. It is about that particular action card.

If you wanted an indefinite version, you would say:

Et handlingskort ligger i kastebunken.

That would mean an action card is in the discard pile.

You would change the noun to plural.

For example:

• Handlingskortene ligger i kastebunken. = The action cards are in the discard pile.

Here:

• handlingskortene = the action cards
• ligger stays the same

That is another useful thing to notice: the verb ligger does not change for singular and plural in the present tense.