Innerpotten står i potteskjuleren.

Innerpotten means the inner pot.

It is a compound noun:

• inner- = inner
• potte = pot
• -n = the definite ending

So:

• en innerpotte = an inner pot
• innerpotten = the inner pot

In Norwegian, compound nouns are very common, and they are usually written as one word, not two.

Potteskjuleren means the pot cover or the decorative outer planter/cachepot.

It is also a compound noun:

• potte = pot
• skjuler = cover/hider
• -en = the definite ending

So:

• en potteskjuler = a pot cover
• potteskjuleren = the pot cover

This is the outer container that hides the simpler inner pot.

Because both nouns are in the definite singular form: the inner pot and the pot cover.

For many masculine nouns in Norwegian:

• indefinite singular: en potte, en potteskjuler
• definite singular: potten/potta (depending on style), potteskjuleren

In this sentence:

• innerpotten = the inner pot
• potteskjuleren = the pot cover

Unlike English, Norwegian often adds the as an ending on the noun instead of using a separate word.

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

Here, står literally means stands. In Norwegian, it is very natural to say that an object stands somewhere if it is upright or resting in a typical standing position.

So:

• Innerpotten står i potteskjuleren = literally The inner pot stands in the pot cover
• natural English meaning: The inner pot is in the pot cover

This is very common in Norwegian:

• Boken ligger på bordet = The book is on the table
• Bildet henger på veggen = The picture is on the wall
• Glasset står på bordet = The glass is on the table

So learners often need to get used to Norwegian being more specific than English about an object's position.

I means in.

It shows location:

• står i potteskjuleren = is/stands in the pot cover

This is a very common preposition in Norwegian. In this sentence, it tells you where the inner pot is located.

This is normal Norwegian main-clause word order:

• Innerpotten = subject
• står = verb
• i potteskjuleren = prepositional phrase showing location

So the pattern is: subject + verb + place

That is the same basic order as in a simple English sentence:

• The inner pot is in the pot cover

Norwegian main clauses usually keep the verb in the second position, and this sentence follows that pattern naturally.

Yes, you probably could, and people would understand you.

But står sounds more natural in this context because Norwegian prefers a position verb for physical placement.

Compare:

• Innerpotten er i potteskjuleren = The inner pot is in the pot cover
• Innerpotten står i potteskjuleren = The inner pot stands in the pot cover

The version with er is more general. The version with står is more idiomatic and more specifically Norwegian.

A learner-friendly breakdown is:

potte-skjuler-en

A few useful pronunciation points:

• tt in potte is a clear double consonant
• skj in skjuleren is a common Norwegian sound, roughly like sh
• the u in skjuleren does not sound like English oo exactly; it is a more rounded front vowel, which can be tricky for English speakers
• -en at the end is the definite ending

You do not need perfect pronunciation right away, but it helps to recognize that skj is a very common Norwegian spelling pattern.

Potteskjuler is usually treated as a masculine noun:

• en potteskjuler
• potteskjuleren

Potte is often feminine in Norwegian:

• ei potte
• potta

But many learners meet forms where feminine nouns are also used as masculine-style nouns:

• en potte
• potten

In innerpotten, the ending -en shows that it is being treated with the common/masculine-style definite ending here.

This is normal in Bokmål, where many feminine nouns can optionally take masculine-style forms.

Because Norwegian normally writes compound nouns as one single word.

So:

• innerpotte = inner pot
• potteskjuler = pot cover

This is different from English, where similar expressions may be written as two words. In Norwegian, splitting compounds is usually incorrect or changes how the phrase is understood.

So innerpotten is the correct written form, not inner potten.

A natural indefinite version would be:

En innerpotte står i en potteskjuler.

That means: An inner pot is standing in a pot cover.

Compare:

• En innerpotte = an inner pot
• Innerpotten = the inner pot
• En potteskjuler = a pot cover
• Potteskjuleren = the pot cover

So the original sentence uses definite forms because it is talking about specific, identifiable objects.