Støvfilteret sitter i støvbeholderen.

Because Norwegian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun.

• støvfilter = dust filter / a dust filter

• støvfilteret = the dust filter

• støvbeholder = dust container / a dust container
• støvbeholderen = the dust container

The ending depends on the noun’s grammatical gender and form:

• -en is a common definite ending for many masculine nouns
• -et is a common definite ending for many neuter nouns

So in this sentence:

• støvfilteret = the dust filter
• støvbeholderen = the dust container

In Norwegian, sitte is often used for something that is sitting, positioned, or located in place, especially when the thing is fitted or resting somewhere.

So Støvfilteret sitter i støvbeholderen suggests more than just simple existence. It means the dust filter is situated/fitted inside the dust container.

If you used er, the sentence would still be understandable, but sitter sounds more natural when talking about a part that is installed or placed in a specific position.

This is very common in Norwegian:

• Batteriet sitter i bunnen. = The battery is located at the bottom.
• Nøkkelen sitter i låsen. = The key is in the lock.

No. That is a very common point of confusion for English speakers.

sitte can mean:

• to sit
• to be sitting
• to be located
• to be fitted/placed somewhere

So here, sitter does not mean the filter is literally sitting like a person in a chair. It means it is positioned or mounted there.

Because i usually means in/inside, while på often means on, onto, or sometimes at, depending on context.

Here the filter is inside the container, so i is the natural choice:

• i støvbeholderen = in the dust container

Compare:

• i boksen = in the box
• på boksen = on the box

Yes. Norwegian very often combines nouns into one word.

Here:

• støv = dust
• filter = filter
• støvfilter = dust filter

And:

• støv = dust
• beholder = container
• støvbeholder = dust container

This is extremely common in Norwegian, much more so than in English. English often writes these as separate words, but Norwegian usually writes them as a single compound word.

The basic order is:

subject + verb + prepositional phrase

So:

• Støvfilteret = subject
• sitter = verb
• i støvbeholderen = prepositional phrase

That gives:

Støvfilteret sitter i støvbeholderen.

This is the normal declarative word order in Norwegian.

A natural indefinite version would be:

Et støvfilter sitter i en støvbeholder.

That means A dust filter is in a dust container, although in real usage this may sound a bit generic or technical.

The important forms are:

• et støvfilter → støvfilteret
• en støvbeholder → støvbeholderen

So this sentence uses definite forms because it refers to specific items: the dust filter and the dust container.

Unfortunately, you often have to learn the gender together with the noun.

In dictionary form, you would typically learn:

• et støvfilter
• en støvbeholder

Then the definite forms become:

• støvfilteret
• støvbeholderen

There are some patterns in Norwegian, but they are not fully reliable. For learners, the best habit is to memorize the noun together with its article:

• et filter
• en beholder

That makes it much easier to produce correct definite forms later.

Yes, people would understand it, and grammatically it is possible. But sitter is more idiomatic if you mean the filter is placed/fitted there.

So:

• er i = is in
• sitter i = is sitting/located/fitted in

In instructions, manuals, and descriptions of machine parts, sitter often sounds more natural.

Norwegian compounds can look intimidating, but they are usually pronounced as one flowing word.

You can think of it in parts:

• støv
• beholder
• -en

A rough guide for English speakers:

• støv has a vowel sound that does not exist exactly in English; it is similar to the vowel in French deux or German schön
• beholderen is roughly beh-HOL-der-en, with the stress mainly on hol

You do not need to pronounce every written consonant very heavily. Focus on saying the compound smoothly.

Because in Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of standing alone before it.

English:

• the filter
• the container

Norwegian:

• filteret
• beholderen

This is one of the biggest structural differences from English.

Norwegian can also use a separate determiner in some cases, especially with adjectives:

• filteret = the filter
• det nye filteret = the new filter

So without an adjective, the ending alone is usually enough.

It is present tense.

The infinitive is å sitte = to sit / to be located

Present tense:

• sitter

Examples:

• Filteret sitter der. = The filter is there.
• Han sitter. = He is sitting.

So in your sentence, the present tense describes the current location of the filter.

Yes, very much so. It sounds natural in technical or practical contexts, such as vacuum cleaners, appliances, or product instructions.

It has a clear, matter-of-fact style:

• Støvfilteret = the specific part
• sitter i støvbeholderen = where that part is located

So it is exactly the kind of sentence you might see in a manual, label, or product description.