Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Vi står i krysset ved skolen og diskuterer lærerens strenge oppførsel. - We stand at the intersection by the school and discuss the teacher’s strict behavior.

You could say Vi er i krysset, and it’s grammatically correct, but it is more neutral and doesn’t say how you are there. Vi står… adds the idea that you are physically standing, not sitting in a car, lying down, etc.

How can the Norwegian present tense står … og diskuterer mean are standing and discussing?

Norwegian normally uses the simple present tense where English uses the present continuous:

Vi står i krysset = We stand at the intersection / We are standing at the intersection
Vi diskuterer = We discuss / We are discussing

There is no separate -ing form in standard Norwegian. Context decides whether English should be simple present or present continuous, and here the natural translation is We are standing … and discussing ….

What does i krysset mean exactly, and why is it krysset and not something like en kryss?

et kryss = an intersection / a crossroads (indefinite, neuter)
krysset = the intersection (definite singular)

So i krysset literally means in the intersection / at the intersection.

You use the definite form (krysset) because you are talking about a specific, known intersection (probably the one near the school), not just any random one.

Why is the preposition i used in i krysset and not på?

With places like intersections, squares, rooms, etc., Norwegian very often uses i:

i krysset = at/in the intersection
i rundkjøringen = in the roundabout
i gata = in the street

Using på krysset would sound wrong in standard Norwegian. Here i is the fixed/preferred preposition with kryss when you mean “at the intersection”.

What is the nuance of ved skolen compared with på skolen or nær skolen?

ved skolen = by the school / next to the school
- Very common, means physically by/at the side of the school building or area.
på skolen = at school
- Often means on school premises or in school (as a student/teacher), not just “near the building”.
nær skolen = near the school
- More general “in the vicinity of”, can be a bit further away.

In i krysset ved skolen, ved skolen narrows down which intersection you mean: the one by the school.

Why isn’t there another vi before diskuterer? Why can we say Vi står … og diskuterer …?

In Norwegian, if the same subject does two actions in a row, joined by og (and), you usually only mention the subject once:

Vi står … og diskuterer …
= We are standing … and (we) are discussing…
Han sitter og leser.
= He is sitting and (he is) reading.

Adding another vi (Vi står … og vi diskuterer …) is possible but sounds heavier and is usually only done for emphasis or contrast.

Why is there no preposition om with diskuterer? In English I would say “discuss the teacher’s strict behaviour.”

In Norwegian, diskutere is normally directly transitive (it takes a direct object):

diskutere noe = to discuss something

So:

Vi diskuterer lærerens strenge oppførsel.
= We are discussing the teacher’s strict behaviour.

If you add om, you usually get a different meaning:

diskutere om noe = to discuss whether something is the case
e.g. De diskuterer om de skal dra. = They are discussing whether they should go.

So om is not used in the simple “discuss something” sense here.

What is lærerens? How is it formed and what does it express?

lærerens is the genitive (possessive) form of lærer (teacher).

en lærer = a teacher
læreren = the teacher
lærerens = the teacher’s

You form this by adding -s to the noun:

mannen → mannens = the man’s
jenta → jentas = the girl’s
læreren → lærerens = the teacher’s

So lærerens strenge oppførsel = the teacher’s strict behaviour.

Why is it strenge oppførsel and not streng oppførsel in lærerens strenge oppførsel?

This is about adjective agreement and definiteness.

Base adjective: streng
Weak/definite form: strenge

When a noun phrase is grammatically definite, the adjective takes this -e ending (weak form).

There are two common patterns:

With a definite article:
- den strenge oppførselen = the strict behaviour
With a genitive (noun + -s), the head noun is understood as definite:
- lærerens strenge oppførsel
  (literally “the teacher’s strict behaviour”)

Notice:

In lærerens strenge oppførsel, there is no visible article (den), but the phrase counts as definite because of the possessive/genitive, so the adjective must be strenge, not streng.

What kind of noun is oppførsel? Is it countable, and what is its gender?

oppførsel means behaviour / conduct.

Gender (Bokmål): common gender (same class as en bok, en lærer)
- Indefinite: en oppførsel
- Definite: oppførselen

However, semantically it is usually uncountable/abstract, like “behaviour” in English. You normally don’t say “three behaviours”; you just talk about someone’s behaviour:

Hans oppførsel var merkelig. = His behaviour was strange.
Lærerens oppførsel = the teacher’s behaviour.

In lærerens strenge oppførsel, oppførsel appears in an indefinite form, but the whole phrase is definite because of the genitive lærerens.

Could I say den strenge oppførselen til læreren instead of lærerens strenge oppførsel?

Yes, that is also correct Norwegian:

lærerens strenge oppførsel
den strenge oppførselen til læreren

Both mean the teacher’s strict behaviour.

Nuances:

lærerens strenge oppførsel feels a bit more compact and is very common in writing.
den strenge oppførselen til læreren is slightly more “spelled out” and can feel a bit more informal or spoken in some contexts.

Grammatically, both are fine.

Can I change the word order and say Vi står og diskuterer i krysset ved skolen? Does it mean the same thing?

Yes, this is possible and natural:

Vi står i krysset ved skolen og diskuterer lærerens strenge oppførsel.
Vi står og diskuterer i krysset ved skolen lærerens strenge oppførsel. (this last order is a bit clumsy)

More natural alternatives:

Vi står og diskuterer lærerens strenge oppførsel i krysset ved skolen.
Vi står i krysset ved skolen og diskuterer lærerens strenge oppførsel.

General points:

Adverbials like i krysset ved skolen (place) are quite flexible in Norwegian word order.
You usually keep the verb group together: står og diskuterer stays as a unit.
You avoid splitting the object lærerens strenge oppførsel in an unnatural way.

So yes, you can move the place phrase, but keep the verbs and the object in coherent chunks for natural-sounding Norwegian.

Is there a related verb to oppførsel? How would I say “The teacher behaves strictly”?

Yes. The noun oppførsel (behaviour) is related to the reflexive verb å oppføre seg (to behave).

Examples:

Læreren oppfører seg strengt.
= The teacher behaves strictly / acts in a strict way.
Han har dårlig oppførsel.
= He has bad behaviour.

So:

oppførsel = behaviour (noun)
å oppføre seg = to behave (verb)