Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Kostymene henger bak scenen, der skuespillerne venter på tur. - The costumes hang behind the stage, where the actors wait for their turn.

In this sentence, it’s about the specific actors in this production, not actors in general.
So skuespillerne venter på tur = the actors are waiting their turn.

Why is it bak scenen, not just bak scene?

Scene is a common-gender noun:

en scene = a stage
scenen = the stage

After most prepositions in Norwegian (like på, i, under, bak), you often still use the definite form if you are talking about a specific place that both sides can identify:

på skolen = at (the) school
i huset = in the house
bak scenen = behind the stage

Here, scenen is “the (theatre) stage” in question, so bak scenen = behind the stage.

What exactly does henger mean here, and why not er?

Henger comes from å henge (to hang).

Kostymene henger bak scenen = The costumes are in a hanging position behind the stage.

Norwegian prefers a more specific verb of position where English often just uses to be:

Boken ligger på bordet. = The book is (lying) on the table.
Bildet henger på veggen. = The picture is (hanging) on the wall.

You could say Kostymene er bak scenen, but that only says they are located there. Henger adds that they are physically hanging on hangers/rails.

What does der mean here, and how does it function in the sentence?

In this sentence, der is a relative adverb meaning where:

…, der skuespillerne venter på tur.
= …, where the actors are waiting their turn.

It links the extra information about location to the previous part:

bak scenen, der … = behind the stage, where …

So der introduces a subordinate (relative) clause that describes the place behind the stage.

Why is there a comma before der?

The comma marks the start of a non-restrictive relative clause (extra information):

Kostymene henger bak scenen, der skuespillerne venter på tur.
= The costumes are hanging behind the stage, where the actors are waiting their turn (added info).

Without the comma:

Kostymene henger bak scenen der skuespillerne venter på tur.

then der skuespillerne venter på tur more tightly defines which stage:

“behind the stage where the actors are waiting their turn” (restrictive, specifying that particular stage).

So the comma shows that this is additional description, not essential identification.

What is the word order in der skuespillerne venter på tur, and why isn’t it der venter skuespillerne?

In Norwegian:

Main clauses normally have V2 word order: the finite verb comes in second position.
- I dag venter skuespillerne på tur. (Today the actors are waiting their turn.)
Subordinate clauses (introduced by words like at, fordi, når, der, som, hvis) do not use V2.
The usual pattern is: subordinator + subject + verb + …

So:

der skuespillerne venter på tur
= where the actors are waiting their turn

der venter skuespillerne på tur would sound like a main clause (“There, the actors are waiting their turn”), not a relative clause.

What does the expression vente på tur mean? Is it literal?

Vente på tur is an idiomatic expression meaning to wait for one’s turn.

vente = to wait
på = on / for (here: the preposition used with vente)
tur = turn (in this sense) / trip / outing, depending on context

So:

Barna venter på tur. = The children are waiting (for) their turn.
Det er min tur. = It is my turn.

In other contexts, på tur can mean “on a trip”:

Vi skal på tur i fjellet. = We’re going on a trip in the mountains.

Here, context clearly gives the “turn” meaning.

Why is the preposition på used with vente here and not something else?

In Norwegian, many verbs simply take fixed prepositions, and you have to learn them:

vente på noe/noen = wait for something/someone
le av noe = laugh at something
snakke om noe = talk about something

So:

vente på tur = wait for (one’s) turn
Jeg venter på bussen. = I’m waiting for the bus.

Using another preposition (like vente for tur) would be wrong or very unnatural.

What are the genders and basic forms of kostyme, scene, and skuespiller?

kostyme
- Gender: neuter
- Forms: et kostyme, kostymet, kostymer, kostymene
scene
- Gender: common
- Forms: en scene, scenen, scener, scenene
skuespiller
- Gender: common
- Forms: en skuespiller, skuespilleren, skuespillere, skuespillerne

In the sentence you see the definite plural of kostyme and skuespiller, and the definite singular of scene.

Could you also say Kostymene er bak scenen? Would it mean the same thing?

You can say Kostymene er bak scenen, and it is grammatically correct.

Difference in nuance:

Kostymene er bak scenen
= The costumes are behind the stage (they’re located there; neutral about how).
Kostymene henger bak scenen
= The costumes are hanging behind the stage (they’re specifically in a hanging position).

In everyday speech, Norwegians often prefer these position verbs (ligge, sitte, stå, henge) when they know how something is placed.

Could you leave out der and just write two sentences?

Yes, you could split it:

Kostymene henger bak scenen. Skuespillerne venter på tur.

That is perfectly fine Norwegian.
However, using der combines them and makes the connection between place and action clearer:

Kostymene henger bak scenen, der skuespillerne venter på tur.
= The costumes are hanging behind the stage, where the actors are waiting their turn.

So der helps show that “waiting their turn” is happening in that same place.

How do you pronounce skuespillerne, and where is the stress?

Approximate pronunciation (Bokmål/standard Eastern):

skuespillerne ≈ SKU-e-spill-erne
- Main stress on the first syllable: SKU
- skue sounds roughly like SKU-e
- spiller like SPILL-er (short i as in “fill”)
- -ne at the end is unstressed and quite weak, often like -ne / -nə

So you get something like: SKU-e-spill-ər-ne, with a clear stress on the very first syllable.