Termosflasken står ved campingstolen under månelyset.

Because Norwegian makes heavy use of compound nouns.

Here, termosflaske is made from:

• termos = thermos
• flaske = bottle

So instead of writing something like thermos bottle as two words, Norwegian usually joins them into one: termosflaske.

Then the definite ending is added to the whole word:

• termosflaske = a thermos flask
• termosflasken = the thermos flask

The same pattern appears in:

• campingstolen = the camping chair
• månelyset = the moonlight

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word before it.

So:

• flaske = bottle
• flasken = the bottle

In this sentence:

• termosflasken = the thermos flask
• campingstolen = the camping chair
• månelyset = the moonlight

English says the as a separate word, but Norwegian often puts that meaning into the noun ending.

That depends on the noun’s gender.

In Bokmål, nouns are commonly grouped as:

• common gender → definite singular often ends in -en
• neuter → definite singular often ends in -et

So here:

• campingstol → campingstolen
• termosflaske → termosflasken
• månelys → månelyset

So -en and -et are both doing the job of the, but the form changes depending on the noun.

This is a very common question, because Norwegian uses position verbs much more than English.

English often says:

• The thermos flask is by the chair.

Norwegian often prefers a verb that describes the object’s position:

• står = stands, is standing
• ligger = lies, is lying
• henger = hangs, is hanging
• sitter = sits, is sitting

So Termosflasken står ... suggests the flask is upright or placed in a standing position.

Using er would be grammatically possible in some contexts, but står sounds more natural and more specific here.

Yes. Very often.

In Norwegian, objects can:

• stå if they are upright
• ligge if they are lying flat
• henge if they are hanging

So a bottle, cup, lamp, or chair can all stå.

Examples:

• Boka ligger på bordet. = The book is lying on the table.
• Jakka henger på stolen. = The jacket is hanging on the chair.
• Flaska står på kjøkkenbenken. = The bottle is standing on the kitchen counter.

This is much more normal in Norwegian than in English.

Ved here means something like:

• by
• next to
• near

So ved campingstolen means the thermos flask is located by / near / next to the camping chair.

It does not necessarily mean physical contact. It just places one thing close to another.

If you want to be more explicit, Norwegian can also use:

• ved siden av = beside / next to

So ved is a slightly simpler, broader location word.

Yes, i månelyset would also be possible, and in many everyday contexts it can sound more natural for in the moonlight.

The phrase under månelyset is understandable, but it can feel a bit more poetic or literary. It creates atmosphere, almost like saying beneath the moonlight.

So:

• i månelyset = in the moonlight
• under månelyset = under the moonlight, often with a more atmospheric tone

The sentence you were given is not wrong; it just has a slightly more descriptive feel.

Usually it describes the whole situation, not just the chair.

So the natural reading is:

• the thermos flask is by the camping chair
• and all of this is happening under the moonlight

In other words, under månelyset works like a scene-setting phrase.

That said, as in English, some attachment ambiguity is possible in isolation. Context normally makes it clear.

Because the sentence presents them as specific, identifiable things:

• the thermos flask
• the camping chair
• the moonlight

This is very natural if the sentence is describing a scene the listener can imagine or already knows about.

Norwegian often uses the definite form when the referent is understood from context, shared knowledge, or the situation being described.

Yes, possibly.

The noun flaske is traditionally feminine, and in Bokmål many feminine nouns can appear either with:

• common-gender forms: en flaske / flasken
• feminine forms: ei flaske / flaska

So:

• termosflasken is normal
• termosflaska can also be normal, depending on style and dialect preferences

This is a feature of Bokmål: feminine nouns often allow more than one accepted pattern.

This is the normal word order for a simple Norwegian main clause:

• subject
  • finite verb
    • other sentence elements

So:

• Termosflasken = subject
• står = finite verb
• ved campingstolen under månelyset = location phrases

Norwegian is a V2 language, which means the finite verb normally comes in the second position in main clauses.

So if you move another element to the front, the verb still stays second:

• Ved campingstolen står termosflasken under månelyset.
• Under månelyset står termosflasken ved campingstolen.

That verb-second rule is an important part of Norwegian word order.

Yes. It is a normal Norwegian compound, even though camping originally comes from English.

Norwegian often uses borrowed elements inside compounds, and once they are part of the language, they behave like ordinary Norwegian words.

So:

• campingstol = camping chair / camp chair
• campingstolen = the camping chair

This is very typical of modern Norwegian vocabulary.