I og med at jakkeslaget sitter feil, brukes skredderkritt.

I og med at is a conjunction meaning something like since, because, given that, or seeing that.

It introduces a reason or background explanation:

• I og med at jakkeslaget sitter feil ... = Since / given that the lapel sits incorrectly ...

It is often a bit more formal or explanatory than plain fordi.

In this sentence, i og med at works as a fixed expression that introduces a subordinate clause.

So you should learn it as one unit:

• i og med at + clause

Here the clause is:

• jakkeslaget sitter feil

Without at, the sentence would sound incomplete in this structure.

Because the first part is a subordinate clause, and it comes before the main clause:

• I og med at jakkeslaget sitter feil, = subordinate clause
• brukes skredderkritt. = main clause

In standard written Norwegian, it is normal to separate these with a comma.

This is because of the V2 rule in Norwegian main clauses: the finite verb must come in the second position.

The whole subordinate clause counts as the first element:

• I og med at jakkeslaget sitter feil = position 1

So the finite verb of the main clause comes next:

• brukes = position 2

Then the subject follows:

• skredderkritt

So:

• I og med at jakkeslaget sitter feil, brukes skredderkritt.

Even though skredderkritt comes after the verb, it is still the grammatical subject of the main clause.

Jakkeslaget means the lapel.

It is a compound noun:

• jakke = jacket
• slag = lapel / facing / fold, depending on context

Together:

• jakkeslag = lapel
• jakkeslaget = the lapel

The ending -et shows that it is definite singular.

Yes, but Norwegian uses sitte more broadly than English sit.

With clothing, furniture, or objects, sitte can mean:

• to fit
• to be positioned
• to lie/set in the right or wrong way

So jakkeslaget sitter feil does not mean the lapel is literally sitting like a person. It means the lapel is positioned wrongly or doesn’t sit correctly.

This use is very common in Norwegian.

Here feil is being used adverbially, meaning wrongly or incorrectly.

So:

• sitter feil = sits wrong / is positioned incorrectly

Norwegian often uses feil this way after verbs:

• skrive feil = write incorrectly / make a mistake
• si feil = say something wrong
• sitte feil = sit wrongly / fit wrongly

So even though feil is often taught as wrong or mistake, here it functions more like incorrectly.

Brukes is the s-passive form of bruke.

• bruke = to use
• brukes = is used / are used

So this is a passive sentence:

• brukes skredderkritt = tailor’s chalk is used

Norwegian has two common ways to make the passive:

• brukes
• blir brukt

In many cases, both are possible. The -s passive often sounds compact and is common in written or formal styles.

Because skredderkritt is being used in a general, material-like sense here, not as one specific countable item.

So the sentence means something like:

• tailor’s chalk is used
• not necessarily a tailor’s chalk is used

This is similar to how English often leaves out the article with materials or tools in a general statement.

If you wanted to talk about one specific piece, the wording would likely change.

It is a compound noun:

• skredder = tailor
• kritt = chalk

So skredderkritt literally means tailor chalk or tailor’s chalk.

Norwegian makes a lot of compound nouns like this, and English speakers often need practice recognizing them as one unit.

Yes, in many contexts you could.

For example:

• Fordi jakkeslaget sitter feil, brukes skredderkritt.

That would still make sense.

The difference is mostly in tone:

• fordi = straightforward because
• i og med at = more like given that / seeing that / since

So i og med at can sound a bit more explanatory or formal.

Yes. Both verbs are in the present tense:

• sitter = sits / is positioned
• brukes = is used

Norwegian often uses the present tense for:

• general truths
• instructions
• routine procedures
• descriptions of how something is done

So the sentence sounds like a general statement about what is done in this situation, not necessarily only about one single event happening right now.