Because snittet is the definite singular form of snitt.
The ending -et shows that snitt is a neuter noun.
Seg is a reflexive pronoun, and in this sentence it is part of the verb expression å åpne seg.
So:
In your sentence, snittet åpner seg means that the cut or opening is opening by itself or becoming open, rather than actively opening something else.
Yes, very often it is.
In Norwegian, å åpne seg is commonly used when something opens, especially when the subject is the thing changing state itself:
So in this sentence, åpner seg is very natural.
Usually no, not in the same natural sense.
Without seg, åpner usually sounds more transitive, as if the subject opens something else.
Compare:
So Snittet åpner seg i skorpen is the natural structure if you mean the cut/opening is opening up.
It is a prepositional phrase:
So grammatically, i skorpen means in the crust.
The exact English translation depends on context, but the grammar is straightforward: preposition i + definite noun skorpen.
Because skorpen is the definite singular form of skorpe.
So the sentence refers to a specific crust, not just any crust.
In Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the noun as an ending.
So instead of saying the cut with a separate word, Norwegian often says:
This is one of the most important differences from English.
The sentence uses standard Norwegian main-clause word order:
So the structure is:
Subject + verb + other elements
This is very normal Norwegian word order for a simple statement.
Yes, that is possible, but the emphasis changes.
Notice that when another element comes first in a main clause, Norwegian still keeps the verb in second position. That is the V2 rule:
You cannot keep the subject directly before the verb if something else has been moved to the front.
Yes. Åpner is the present tense of å åpne.
Forms:
So Snittet åpner seg i skorpen is in the present tense.
No. Snitt can have several meanings depending on context, for example:
So snittet does not always mean the same thing. You have to use the surrounding context to know which meaning is intended here.
Yes, in many cases seg works like a reflexive object, similar to himself / herself / itself / themselves in English.
Examples:
But Norwegian uses seg more broadly than English uses himself/herself/itself, so you should learn it as part of verb patterns, not just as a direct one-to-one translation.
You decide from context.
Skorpe can refer to different kinds of hard outer layers, for example:
So the grammar of the sentence stays the same, but the best English word depends on what kind of skorpe the text is talking about.