Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Inne i hytta står en gammel vedovn som vi fyrer opp om kvelden. - Inside the cabin there is an old wood stove that we fire up in the evening.

I hytta = in the cabin (neutral, just location)
Inne i hytta = inside the cabin (contrasts more clearly with outside; feels a bit more vivid/visual)

You could say I hytta står det en gammel vedovn… and it would still be correct, just slightly less descriptive. Inne i … is very common when you want to paint a picture of the inside of a place.

Why does the sentence start with Inne i hytta and not with En gammel vedovn står…? Is this word order special?

Norwegian often starts a sentence with a place or time expression to set the scene. When you move an element to the front, the verb must still be in second position (the V2 rule).

So:

Neutral: En gammel vedovn står inne i hytta.
With place first: Inne i hytta står en gammel vedovn.

Here Inne i hytta counts as position 1, and står (the verb) must then come next (position 2). This is normal, not stylistically strange.

Why is it hytta and not en hytte?

Hytta is the definite form of hytte (cabin).

en hytte = a cabin
hytta = the cabin

In the sentence, we’re talking about a specific, known cabin (probably already known in the context), so Norwegian uses the definite form hytta. English would typically say the cabin here too, not a cabin.

Why is it en gammel vedovn and not en ved gammel ovn or something with a different order?

Norwegian adjective order is:

indefinite article + adjective + noun

So:

en gammel vedovn = a old wood stove

You cannot put the adjective after the noun in this structure. En ved gammel ovn is wrong word order and also breaks the compound noun vedovn (wood stove).

What exactly is vedovn, and is it different from peis?

ved = firewood
ovn = oven/stove
vedovn = wood(-burning) stove (a closed metal stove you put wood into)

Peis means fireplace (usually open, often built into a wall with a chimney). So:

en vedovn = a stove you load with wood, with a door
en peis = a more open fireplace, often for both heat and atmosphere

What does som do in vedovn som vi fyrer opp om kvelden?

Som is a relative pronoun here, like which/that in English. It introduces a relative clause that gives more information about the vedovn.

en gammel vedovn som vi fyrer opp om kvelden
= an old wood stove that we light in the evening

So som = that/which (referring to vedovn).

Why is it vi fyrer opp and not just vi fyrer?

Fyre opp is a phrasal verb meaning to light (a fire/stove), to start a fire.

å fyre alone means to burn fuel / have a fire going, in a more general sense.
å fyre opp focuses on starting the fire, lighting it.

So vi fyrer opp (ovnen) = we light the stove / start the fire in the stove.

Why is there no den: why not som vi fyrer den opp om kvelden?

In Norwegian, you normally don’t repeat the object pronoun inside a relative clause when it’s already the thing the clause describes.

en vedovn som vi fyrer opp om kvelden
literally: a wood stove that we light in the evening (the object is understood)

If you say som vi fyrer den opp, you’re doubling the object: that we light it, which sounds wrong or at least very clumsy here.

What does om kvelden mean exactly, and how is it different from i kveld or på kvelden?

om kvelden = in the evening / in the evenings (habitual, general)
→ suggests something you usually do in the evening.
i kveld = tonight / this evening (one specific evening, usually the coming one).
på kvelden can also mean in the evening(s); in many cases it overlaps with om kvelden, but om kvelden is slightly more neutral and common for describing a routine.

Here om kvelden implies a regular habit: they generally light the stove in the evenings.

Why is the verb in the present tense (vi fyrer opp) if this is something that happens regularly?

Norwegian often uses the simple present for habitual actions, just like English:

Vi fyrer opp om kvelden.
= We light it in the evening / We light it in the evenings.

This describes a routine or habit. You don’t need any extra marker like usually in Norwegian; the context (om kvelden) and the present tense are enough.

Could I say Inne i hytta er det en gammel vedovn instead of står en gammel vedovn? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say:

Inne i hytta er det en gammel vedovn.

Both versions are grammatical. The difference:

står adds the idea of the stove physically standing there (its position in the room), a bit more visual.
er det is more neutral, just there is.

Står is often used in Norwegian where English uses just is for objects that stand upright (bookshelves, stoves, houses, etc.).