Tilbehøret ligger på bordet.

Because tilbehør is a neuter noun in Norwegian, and -et is the usual definite singular ending for neuter nouns.

• tilbehør = accessory / accompaniment / side dish / extra equipment
• tilbehøret = the accessory / the accompaniment

So Norwegian often puts the idea of the at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word.

A similar example:

• et bord = a table
• bordet = the table

In Norwegian, definiteness is often built into the noun itself.

So instead of saying something like the accessory with a separate article, Norwegian usually says:

• tilbehøret = the accessory / the accompaniment
• bordet = the table

This is completely normal. In this sentence, both main nouns are definite:

• Tilbehøret = the accessory / the side dish / the accessories
• bordet = the table

Norwegian often prefers a position verb when saying where something is located.

Here, ligger literally means lies / is lying, but in everyday Norwegian it is also commonly used for things that are situated somewhere, especially if they are resting horizontally or just placed somewhere.

So:

• Tilbehøret ligger på bordet sounds natural for something resting on a table.
• Using er would usually sound less idiomatic here.

Norwegian frequently uses:

• ligger = lies / is located
• står = stands / is standing
• sitter = sits / is sitting

Examples:

• Boken ligger på bordet. = The book is on the table.
• Koppen står på bordet. = The cup is on the table.

This is a very common question for English speakers, because English often just uses is.

A simple guide:

• ligger: things lying flat, spread out, or simply resting somewhere
  
  • Boken ligger på bordet.
• står: things that stand upright
  
  • Flasken står på bordet.
• sitter: things attached, seated, or positioned in a way Norwegian treats as sitting
  
  • Bildet sitter på veggen.

With tilbehør, ligger is natural if the items are laid out on the table.

På means on in this sentence.

Since the accessory/accompaniment is on the table, på is the correct preposition.

• på bordet = on the table

This is the normal choice for something resting on a surface.

For the same reason as tilbehøret: bord is a neuter noun, and the definite singular form adds -et.

• et bord = a table
• bordet = the table

So:

• på et bord = on a table
• på bordet = on the table

The sentence follows the normal Norwegian pattern for a simple statement:

Subject + verb + place

• Tilbehøret = subject
• ligger = verb
• på bordet = place expression

So:

• Tilbehøret ligger på bordet.

This is very standard Norwegian word order.

Yes. Norwegian allows other word orders if you want to emphasize a different part of the sentence.

For example:

• På bordet ligger tilbehøret.

This puts more focus on på bordet.

But remember an important rule: in a main clause, the verb is usually in second position. So if you move på bordet to the front, ligger still comes second.

Grammatically, tilbehøret is singular definite. However, the meaning can be a bit broader than a single item.

Tilbehør is often used as a kind of collective noun, so it can refer to:

• one accessory
• a set of accessories
• side dishes or accompaniments as a group

So even though the form is singular, the real-life meaning may be more general or collective depending on context.

Yes. Tilbehør is a context-dependent word.

It can mean things like:

• accessory
• equipment
• extra parts
• accompaniment
• side dish

So in one context it could be about phone accessories, and in another it could be about food served with a meal.

That is why the exact English translation depends on the situation, even though the Norwegian sentence stays the same.

A rough pronunciation guide:

• ligger sounds approximately like LIG-er

A few notes:

• The g is not pronounced like a hard English g in go here.
• The gg affects the preceding vowel, making it short.
• The -er ending is usually said quite lightly.

A very rough English-friendly approximation would be:

• LIG-er

but with a more Norwegian vowel sound in the first syllable.

A rough pronunciation guide:

• tilbehøret ≈ TEEL-beh-HUR-et

Helpful notes:

• til sounds roughly like til
• be is light and unstressed
• hør contains the Norwegian vowel ø, which does not exist in standard English
• the final -et is pronounced lightly

The hardest part for English speakers is usually ø. It is somewhat similar to the vowel in French bleu or German schön, if you know those.

Then only bordet would change from definite to indefinite:

• Tilbehøret ligger på et bord.

Compare:

• på bordet = on the table
• på et bord = on a table

So the original sentence uses a specific table, while et bord would mean any table.