Måleutstyret ligger i oppholdsrommet.

Because Norwegian very often makes compound nouns by joining words together.

• måle = measuring / to measure
• utstyr = equipment

So måleutstyr means measuring equipment.

The same thing happens in oppholdsrommet:

• opphold = stay, dwelling, lounge-type use
• rom = room

So oppholdsrom is a kind of common room / lounge / living room, depending on context.

A good rule: in Norwegian compounds, the last part is the main noun, and the earlier part describes it.

That -et is the definite ending for many neuter nouns in Norwegian. It works like English the.

• et måleutstyr = a measuring equipment / measuring equipment

• måleutstyret = the measuring equipment

• et oppholdsrom = a common room / lounge
• oppholdsrommet = the common room / lounge

So instead of putting a separate word like the before the noun, Norwegian often adds the definite article to the end of the noun.

Grammatically, it is singular.

That is because utstyr usually works like a mass noun or collective noun, much like English equipment. Even if it refers to several physical items, the noun itself is treated as singular.

So:

• utstyret ligger ... = the equipment is located ...
• not a plural form like equipments, which English also normally avoids

If you want to talk about separate objects, you would usually choose another noun, such as:

• instrumentene = the instruments
• apparatene = the devices
• målerne = the meters/gauges

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

Here, ligger is the present tense of å ligge, meaning to lie. In many contexts, it is used for something that is located somewhere, especially an object that is resting in a place.

So Norwegian prefers:

• Måleutstyret ligger i oppholdsrommet.

where English would usually just say:

• The measuring equipment is in the lounge/common room.

This is very common in Norwegian. Compare:

• Boken ligger på bordet. = The book is on the table.
• Stolen står ved vinduet. = The chair is by the window.

Norwegian often chooses among verbs like:

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

depending on how something is positioned or conceived.

Ligger is the present tense of å ligge.

Some useful forms are:

• å ligge = to lie
• ligger = lies / is lying / is located
• lå = lay / was lying
• har ligget = has lain / has been lying

So in this sentence, the verb is simply present tense: the equipment is located in that room.

Because i is normally used for being inside a room or enclosed space.

So:

• i rommet = in the room
• i huset = in the house
• i skapet = in the cupboard

På is usually used for:

• a surface: på bordet = on the table
• or certain places by idiomatic usage: på skolen, på jobb, på sykehuset

But for an ordinary room, i is the natural choice. Since the equipment is inside the lounge/common room, i oppholdsrommet is correct.

The sentence follows the normal Norwegian statement pattern:

• Måleutstyret = subject
• ligger = verb
• i oppholdsrommet = adverbial phrase of place

So it is:

Subject + Verb + Place

This is the standard word order in a simple main clause.

Yes. You can say:

I oppholdsrommet ligger måleutstyret.

That is also correct.

But when Norwegian puts something else first in a main clause, the verb still has to stay in second position. This is the famous V2 rule.

So:

• Måleutstyret ligger i oppholdsrommet.
• I oppholdsrommet ligger måleutstyret.

Both are correct, but the second version gives more emphasis to the location.

Not always.

Oppholdsrom is a somewhat broader or more formal word. It often means a room meant for staying in, such as a:

• lounge
• common room
• living area
• recreation room

Depending on context, it could be in:

• a home
• an institution
• a dormitory
• a workplace
• a public building

Stue is more specifically a living room in a home.

So in some contexts, oppholdsrommet could be translated as the living room, but in others the lounge or the common room is better.

You could, but the meaning and feel would change.

• måleutstyret = the measuring equipment, something specific and known
• måleutstyr = measuring equipment in a more general or indefinite sense

If you are talking about specific equipment already known in the conversation, måleutstyret is the natural form.

If you are introducing new information, Norwegian often prefers a structure like:

Det ligger måleutstyr i oppholdsrommet.

That means something like:

• There is measuring equipment in the lounge/common room.

So yes, dropping -et is possible, but it usually changes the sentence from specific definite equipment to indefinite equipment.

A rough learner-friendly guide would be:

• måleutstyret ≈ MOH-leh-oot-sty-reht
• oppholdsrommet ≈ OP-holds-room-meht
• ligger ≈ LIG-er

A few pronunciation notes:

• å in måle sounds roughly like the vowel in law or more for many English speakers.
• y in utstyret is tricky because English does not really have this sound. It is similar to French u or German ü.
• The g in ligger is pronounced; it is not silent.

You do not need perfect pronunciation right away, but recognizing å, y, and compound words will help a lot.