Støvmasken brukes med slipepapiret.

Because -en is the definite article attached to the end of the noun.

• støvmaske = dust mask / a dust mask
• støvmasken = the dust mask

Norwegian usually adds the definite article as a suffix instead of putting a separate word in front, as English does.

Also note that støvmaske is a common gender noun, so the definite singular ending is -en.

For the same basic reason: it is in the definite singular form.

• slipepapir = sandpaper
• slipepapiret = the sandpaper

But here the ending is -et, not -en, because slipepapir is a neuter noun.

So:

• common gender noun: often takes -en in the definite singular
• neuter noun: often takes -et in the definite singular

Brukes is the present passive form of å bruke (to use).

So brukes means:

• is used
• sometimes more generally is used/used in an instructional or descriptive sense

In this sentence, Støvmasken brukes med slipepapiret means that the dust mask is used with the sandpaper, or should be used with it, depending on context.

Because Norwegian often forms the passive by adding -s to the verb instead of using a separate verb like English does.

Compare:

• English: is used
• Norwegian: brukes

This is called the s-passive.

So the whole passive meaning is built into brukes itself.

Yes. Støvmasken blir brukt med slipepapiret is grammatically possible.

Both forms can express passive meaning, but there is often a slight difference in style:

• brukes = shorter, often more formal, common in instructions, manuals, labels, and general statements
• blir brukt = a more explicit passive, often sounding a bit more like ordinary spoken language or emphasizing the action/event

In a practical instruction context, brukes is very natural.

Med usually means with.

In this sentence it shows that the dust mask is used together with the sandpaper, or in connection with it.

So med is linking the two items:

• støvmasken = the dust mask
• med slipepapiret = with the sandpaper

Because the sentence is talking about specific items, probably in a known context such as instructions, equipment lists, or a work process.

Using the definite forms suggests something like:

• the dust mask
• the sandpaper

This is common when the speaker/writer assumes the listener already knows which items are meant.

If you changed them to indefinite, the meaning would be more general:

• En støvmaske brukes med slipepapir = A dust mask is used with sandpaper

That sounds more like a general statement.

Yes. Norwegian very often creates nouns by combining words into one compound.

• støv = dust
• maske = mask
• støvmaske = dust mask

The same is true for slipepapir:

• slipe relates to sanding/grinding
• papir = paper
• slipepapir = sandpaper

This is very normal in Norwegian, and native English speakers often need time to get used to writing these as one word.

The word order is straightforward:

• Støvmasken = subject
• brukes = verb
• med slipepapiret = prepositional phrase

So the pattern is:

Subject + Verb + Prepositional phrase

This is the normal main-clause word order in Norwegian.

It can be understood as both, depending on context.

It may be:

• a neutral statement: The dust mask is used with the sandpaper
• an instructional statement: The dust mask should be used with the sandpaper

Norwegian often uses the present tense, especially in passive form, for instructions and technical descriptions. So in a manual, this could easily imply recommended or expected use.

It is grammatically correct, but whether it feels fully natural depends on the situation.

It works best in a technical or instructional context where specific items are being discussed. However, in everyday speech, Norwegian might often prefer a wording that makes the purpose clearer, for example if the meaning is really about protection while sanding.

So the sentence is fine grammatically, but context matters a lot for how natural it feels.

A rough approximation for an English speaker might be:

STUHV-mas-ken BROO-kes med SLEE-peh-pah-pee-ret

A few helpful notes:

• ø does not exist in English; it is a rounded front vowel
• brukes has a u sound that is not exactly like English oo
• slipepapiret is stressed mainly at the start: SLIpepapiret

Pronunciation varies somewhat by dialect, but this rough guide can help you get started.