Skredderkrittet ligger ved stoffprøven.

Because Norwegian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like the.

• et skredderkritt = a tailor’s chalk

• skredderkrittet = the tailor’s chalk

• en stoffprøve = a fabric sample
• stoffprøven = the fabric sample

So the endings show definiteness:

• -et is a common definite ending for neuter nouns
• -en is a common definite ending for common-gender nouns

This is one of the biggest structural differences from English.

The base forms are:

• skredderkritt = tailor’s chalk
• stoffprøve = fabric sample

In the sentence, both are in the singular definite form:

• skredderkrittet
• stoffprøven

So if you wanted the indefinite version of the whole sentence, it would be:

• Et skredderkritt ligger ved en stoffprøve.

That would mean a tailor’s chalk is lying by a fabric sample.

Yes. Norwegian very often combines nouns into a single compound word.

Here:

• skredder = tailor
• kritt = chalk
• skredderkritt = tailor’s chalk

And then the definite ending is added:

• skredderkrittet = the tailor’s chalk

The same idea applies to many Norwegian words. English often writes these as two words or with of, but Norwegian commonly makes one compound noun.

Norwegian often uses more specific position verbs where English would simply use is.

• ligger literally means lies / is lying
• It is commonly used for something that is resting in a horizontal position or simply located somewhere

So Skredderkrittet ligger ved stoffprøven sounds natural in Norwegian for an object placed next to another object.

If you said er, it would be grammatically possible in some contexts, but ligger sounds more idiomatic when talking about the physical placement of things.

Norwegian often distinguishes between:

• ligger = lies
• står = stands
• sitter = sits

This is much more common than in English.

Ved here means something like:

• by
• next to
• beside
• near

So it shows that the tailor’s chalk is located close to the fabric sample.

It does not necessarily mean direct contact, just proximity.

Some rough comparisons:

• ved = by/next to
• på = on
• i = in
• under = under

So ved stoffprøven means by the fabric sample.

The sentence has standard Norwegian main-clause word order:

• Skredderkrittet = subject
• ligger = verb
• ved stoffprøven = adverbial/prepositional phrase

So the structure is:

Subject + Verb + Place

That is very similar to English here:

• The tailor’s chalk
  • lies/is
    • by the fabric sample

Nothing unusual is happening with the word order in this sentence.

• skredderkritt is neuter

  • indefinite: et skredderkritt
  • definite: skredderkrittet

• stoffprøve is common gender

  • indefinite: en stoffprøve
  • definite: stoffprøven

This matters because noun gender affects:

• the indefinite article: en or et
• the definite ending: often -en or -et

A natural plural version could be:

• Skredderkrittene ligger ved stoffprøvene.
• The tailor’s chalks are lying by the fabric samples.

Forms:

• et skredderkritt → skredderkritt / skredderkrittene
• en stoffprøve → stoffprøver / stoffprøvene

Note that kritt can behave a bit like a material/mass noun in some contexts, so the plural may be less common depending on exactly what is meant. But grammatically, plural forms are possible.

The tricky part for many English speakers is ø.

• ø is a front rounded vowel that does not exist as a normal English vowel
• A rough approximation is something between the vowel in French deux or German schön, if you know those
• Your tongue is placed somewhat like for e in bed, but your lips are rounded

For stoffprøven:

• stoff sounds roughly like stof
• prø has that rounded ø sound
• -ven is pronounced with a clear v

A rough learner-friendly approximation might be:

• STOFF-pruh-ven or STOFF-prø-ven

But that is only approximate; the real ø is worth practicing separately.

It is a very natural way, but not the only possible one.

Possible alternatives include:

• Skredderkrittet er ved stoffprøven.
• Skredderkrittet ligger ved siden av stoffprøven.
• Skredderkrittet ligger nær stoffprøven.

The differences are:

• ligger ved = natural and compact
• er ved = more neutral, sometimes less specific about position
• ved siden av = specifically next to / beside
• nær = near

So ligger ved is a good, idiomatic choice for the sentence you have.

Yes, depending on context.

Stoffprøve literally means fabric sample or cloth sample, but in sewing, textiles, or fashion contexts, English speakers might also say:

• swatch
• fabric swatch
• sample of fabric

So the exact English word can vary with context, even though the Norwegian word stays the same.

Because in Norwegian, definiteness is usually built into the noun itself.

English says:

• the tailor’s chalk
• the fabric sample

Norwegian says:

• skredderkrittet
• stoffprøven

So instead of a separate article before the noun, Norwegian typically adds a suffix to the noun.

This is why English speakers often need time to get used to forms like:

• bok → boken / boka
• hus → huset
• prøve → prøven

It is one of the core patterns of Norwegian nouns.