Kjedeoljen står på bordet.

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

• olje = oil
• oljen = the oil

Here, the noun is actually the compound kjedeolje:

• kjede = chain
• olje = oil
• kjedeolje = chain oil
• kjedeoljen = the chain oil

So instead of saying the chain oil, Norwegian normally says chain-oil-the as one word.

Norwegian often forms compound nouns by writing them as a single word, much more often than English does.

So:

• kjede
  • olje → kjedeolje

This is completely normal in Norwegian. English might write chain oil as two words, but Norwegian prefers one compound word.

This is a very common question. Norwegian often uses position verbs where English just uses is.

The main ones are:

• stå = stand
• ligge = lie
• sitte = sit

So Kjedeoljen står på bordet literally means something like The chain oil is standing on the table.

This does not necessarily mean the oil has legs or is literally standing like a person. It usually means the container is in an upright position on the table.

In natural Norwegian, this is often better than er when talking about where an object is physically placed.

Yes, you could, and people would understand you. But it is less specific and often less natural in this context.

• er på bordet = is on the table
• står på bordet = is standing on the table / is placed upright on the table

Norwegian likes to describe the physical position of objects more precisely than English does. So står is often the most natural choice for bottles, cans, containers, lamps, and similar upright objects.

This takes practice, because Norwegian uses these verbs more broadly than English.

A simple guide:

• står: things that are upright
  
  • Flasken står på bordet. = The bottle is on the table.
• ligger: things that are lying flat, or many objects that are simply resting somewhere
  
  • Boka ligger på bordet. = The book is on the table.
• sitter: things attached, seated, or positioned in a way similar to sitting
  
  • Bildet sitter på veggen. = The picture is on the wall.

For kjedeoljen, the idea is probably that the bottle/container is upright, so står makes sense.

Står is the present tense form of å stå.

• å stå = to stand
• står = stands / is standing

So:

• Kjedeoljen står på bordet. = The chain oil stands/is standing on the table.

For the same reason as kjedeoljen: the definite article is added to the noun.

• et bord = a table
• bordet = the table

So på bordet means on the table.

Bord is a neuter noun.

• et bord = a table
• bordet = the table

Yes, gender matters because it affects the indefinite article and the definite ending.

For neuter nouns:

• indefinite singular: often et
• definite singular: often -et

That is why you get bordet.

Olje is usually a common-gender noun.

• en olje = an oil
• oljen = the oil

When it becomes part of the compound kjedeolje, the last part determines the gender of the whole compound. Since olje is common gender, kjedeolje is also common gender:

• en kjedeolje
• kjedeoljen

This is the normal Norwegian word order for a basic statement:

• subject
  • verb
    • rest

So here you have:

• Kjedeoljen = subject
• står = verb
• på bordet = prepositional phrase

This is very similar to English word order in a simple sentence.

På usually means on, though it can also mean in, at, or other things depending on context.

In this sentence:

• på bordet = on the table

This is a very common preposition, but like English prepositions, it has several uses, so you have to learn it through examples.

A rough guide for an English speaker is:

• kjede sounds roughly like SHEH-deh or KHYEH-deh, depending on dialect and how exact you want to be
• oljen sounds roughly like OL-yen

So the whole word is approximately:

• SHEH-deh-OL-yen

A few notes:

• kj in many dialects is a soft sound, somewhat like sh
• j is usually pronounced like English y
• the ending -en in oljen is not a strong English en; it is lighter

The exact pronunciation varies by dialect, but that approximation will help you get started.

Grammatically, it says the chain oil, but in real usage Norwegian often refers to the contents when the container is really what is physically standing somewhere.

So if someone says Kjedeoljen står på bordet, they often mean the bottle of chain oil is on the table.

This is very natural and similar to how English might say The milk is on the table when really meaning the carton or bottle of milk.