Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Ugresset legges i komposten bak huset. - The weeds are placed in the compost behind the house.

Vi legger ugresset i komposten. = We put the weeds in the compost. (active)
Ugresset legges i komposten. = The weeds are put in the compost. (passive, no explicit subject)

The -s on legges marks the passive voice, so it corresponds to English “are put” rather than “put”. It’s a common way in Norwegian to talk about rules, routines, and instructions in a neutral, impersonal way.

Could you also say “Ugresset blir lagt i komposten bak huset” instead of “legges”?

Yes, you can. Blir lagt is another passive construction:

Ugresset legges i komposten bak huset.
Ugresset blir lagt i komposten bak huset.

Both mean essentially the same: “The weeds are put in the compost behind the house.”

Nuance:

legges (s-passive) is a bit more compact and is very common in written Norwegian, especially in explanations and instructions.
blir lagt (bli-passive) tends to emphasize the process a little more and is often a bit more conversational.

In everyday speech, Norwegians use both, and in this sentence there’s no real difference in meaning.

Where is the Norwegian word for “is” in “the weeds are put in the compost”?

The English “are” is built into the passive form legges.

legger = (someone) puts / is putting
legges = is/are put

So:

Ugresset legges… = “The weeds are put…”
There’s no separate word for “is/are” because the -s on legges already expresses the passive (“are put”).

Why is it i komposten and not på komposten?

i literally means “in”, while på usually means “on” or “onto”.

i komposten = in the compost, inside the compost bin/heap/area
på komposten = on the compost, more on top of it (could sound like on the surface)

For a normal compost heap or bin, Norwegians usually say i komposten, because the weeds become part of the compost, not just lying on top as something separate.

What exactly does bak huset mean, and how is it different from other words like etter or foran?

bak huset means “behind the house” in a spatial sense.

bak = behind (location)
huset = the house

So: i komposten bak huset = in the compost (that is) behind the house.

Compare:

foran huset = in front of the house
etter huset usually doesn’t work for location; etter mostly means “after” in time or sequence, not “behind” in space.

So for physical position behind something, you use bak, not etter.

Why is it komposten (definite) and huset (definite)? Could it be indefinite, like “i en kompost bak et hus”?

Komposten and huset are in the definite form, meaning the speaker assumes the listener knows which compost and which house.

kompost = a compost (in general)
komposten = the compost (a specific one, e.g., the one in the garden)
hus = a house
huset = the house (the specific house in question, usually the house we’re standing at or talking about)

If you said i en kompost bak et hus, it would mean:

in a compost behind a house (not a specific, known one; sounds very generic or hypothetical)

In normal instructions about your own home, you’d use the definite: komposten bak huset.

Is ugress countable in Norwegian? How do you say “a weed” or “weeds”?

In everyday Norwegian, ugress is usually treated as a mass noun, like “weed” in English when you say “There’s a lot of weed in the garden.”

ugress = weed / weeds (in general)
There is no very common singular “an ugress” in standard speech.

To talk about an individual plant, people might say:

ugressplante = a weed plant
or just refer to the specific type: en løvetann (a dandelion), en brennesle (a nettle), etc.

You can see plural forms like ugresser in some contexts, but they are relatively rare and feel somewhat technical or dialectal. In most everyday language, ugress covers both “weed” and “weeds” as a mass.

Can the word order change, for example: “Ugresset legges bak huset i komposten”?

Yes, that word order is grammatically possible, but it sounds less natural in most contexts.

Ugresset legges i komposten bak huset.
→ Most natural: “The weeds are put in the compost behind the house.” (the compost is behind the house)
Ugresset legges bak huset i komposten.
→ Sounds slightly odd; it can be understood, but it feels like you’re emphasizing bak huset in a strange way.

Norwegian usually likes the place phrase that directly belongs with a noun to come right after that noun:

komposten bak huset (the compost behind the house)

Splitting them (komposten … bak huset) is possible, but often less smooth.

How would I say the same thing but with an explicit subject like “We put the weeds in the compost behind the house”?

You would use the active form:

Vi legger ugresset i komposten bak huset.
= We put the weeds in the compost behind the house.

Compare:

Ugresset legges i komposten bak huset. (passive, no subject)
Vi legger ugresset i komposten bak huset. (active, with subject vi = we)

Both describe the same action; the choice depends on whether you want to mention who does it.

How would this look as a direct instruction, like on a sign telling people what to do with the weeds?

For a clear instruction, you’d typically use the imperative:

Legg ugresset i komposten bak huset.
= Put the weeds in the compost behind the house.

On an actual sign, people might shorten it even more:

Ugress i komposten bak huset.

But the full, grammatically complete imperative form is Legg ugresset i komposten bak huset.

How do you pronounce “ugresset legges i komposten bak huset”?

Very roughly in English-like sounds (Bokmål, neutral accent):

ugresset ≈ OO-greh-set
- u like in food,
- stress on UG-,
- final -et often sounds like a weak -e.
legges ≈ LEG-gehss
- g is a hard g (like in get),
- both syllables are fairly clear: LEG-ges.
i ≈ ee (like in see).
komposten ≈ kom-POST-en
- stress on -POST-.
bak ≈ bahk (a bit like British “bark” but shorter).
huset ≈ HOO-set
- hu- like hoo,
- weak final -e.

Spoken quickly, unstressed syllables (-et, -en) get reduced and sound like a short, soft uh.