Learn Hardcore Norwegian: På lønnslippen ser jeg hvor mye som går til skatt og pensjon. - On the payslip I see how much goes to tax and pension.

The base noun is (en) lønnslipp / lønnsslipp = a payslip.
The ending -en is the definite singular ending for masculine/common‑gender nouns, so lønnslippen = the payslip.

So the sentence literally starts with On the payslip...

Why is it på lønnslippen and not i lønnslippen?

Norwegian often uses på (on) with documents and surfaces:

på lønnslippen – on the payslip
på fakturaen – on the invoice
på skjermen – on the screen

I (in) is used more for things you are physically inside or texts you are reading through:

i boka – in the book
i avisa – in the newspaper

Since a payslip is seen as a surface with information written on it, på lønnslippen is the natural choice.

Why is the word order På lønnslippen ser jeg ... and not Jeg ser ... på lønnslippen?

Norwegian has a verb‑second (V2) rule in main clauses: the finite verb (here ser) must come in second position.

If you move an element to the front for emphasis (here På lønnslippen), the verb must still be second, so the subject jeg comes after the verb:

På lønnslippen ser jeg ... (Fronted: On the payslip is what we’re talking about.)

Neutral word order is also possible:

Jeg ser på lønnslippen hvor mye som går til skatt og pensjon.

Both are grammatical; the original version emphasizes where you see this information (on the payslip).

What is the difference between ser and ser på in this context?

å se = to see (perceive, notice, understand)
å se på = to look at, watch

In the original sentence, ser takes a clause as its object:

ser jeg hvor mye som går til skatt og pensjon
→ I see / can see how much goes to tax and pension.

If you say jeg ser på lønnslippen, that focuses on the physical action of looking at the payslip:

Jeg ser på lønnslippen. – I am looking at the payslip.

So På lønnslippen ser jeg ... is about what information you can see there, not just the act of looking.

What exactly is hvor mye doing here? Is it a question inside the sentence?

Yes. Hvor mye (how much) introduces an indirect question (also called an embedded question):

Direct question: Hvor mye går til skatt og pensjon?
Indirect: Jeg ser hvor mye som går til skatt og pensjon.

So in the full sentence:

På lønnslippen ser jeg hvor mye som går til skatt og pensjon.
→ hvor mye som går til skatt og pensjon is a clause functioning as the object of ser (I see how much goes to tax and pension).

Why do we need som in hvor mye som går til skatt og pensjon? Can we leave it out?

Here som is a relative pronoun that stands for the amount (hvor mye) and acts as the subject of the verb går.

hvor mye som går til skatt og pensjon
= how much (that) goes to tax and pension

Because som is the subject of går, you cannot omit it in standard Norwegian. Compare:

Mannen som bor der ... – The man who lives there ... (you can’t drop som here either)

What does går til mean here? Is gå always used like this?

Literally å gå til means to go to, but with money it often means to be allocated to / to be used for:

Hvor mye går til skatt? – How much goes to tax?
Halvparten går til husleie. – Half goes to rent.

So in this sentence, går til skatt og pensjon = is paid to tax and pension or is used for tax and pension.
Gå is not always used this way; this is a common idiomatic use when talking about where money or resources end up.

Why is there no word for my in the Norwegian sentence?

Norwegian often omits possessive pronouns when the owner is obvious from context, especially with body parts, relatives, and personal items like salary and documents.

På lønnslippen ser jeg ...
is usually understood as On my payslip I see ...

If you really want to say my payslip, you can:

På lønnslippen min ser jeg hvor mye som går til skatt og pensjon.

Both are correct; the shorter version sounds more natural in many contexts.

Why don’t skatt and pensjon have an article? Why not til skatten og pensjonen?

Here skatt and pensjon are treated as general, uncountable concepts:

til skatt og pensjon – to tax and pension (in general)

Norwegian often drops the article with abstract or uncountable nouns used in a general sense:

Jobben gir pensjon. – The job gives pension.
Jeg betaler skatt. – I pay tax.

You could say til skatten og pensjonen if you meant those specific tax and pension amounts already mentioned, but in this context the general form is more natural.

Could we use another verb like står or er instead of går here?

You can, but the meaning changes:

På lønnslippen står det hvor mye som går til skatt og pensjon.
– On the payslip it says how much goes to tax and pension.
(focus: what is written there)
På lønnslippen er det informasjon om hvor mye som går til skatt og pensjon.
– On the payslip there is information about how much goes to tax and pension.
(focus: the existence of information)
hvor mye som går til skatt og pensjon
– specifically about the destination of the money (what it goes to).

So går til highlights the flow of money to tax and pension, not just the fact that something is written on the payslip.

What is the difference between hvor mye and hvor mange here? Could I say hvor mange?

hvor mye = how much (for uncountable amounts: money, water, time, etc.)
hvor mange = how many (for countable things: people, items, etc.)

Since we’re talking about an amount of money, hvor mye is correct:

hvor mye som går til skatt og pensjon – how much goes to tax and pension.

You could use hvor mange if you specify a countable unit, for example:

hvor mange prosent som går til skatt og pensjon
– how many percent go to tax and pension.

How do you pronounce lønnslippen and pensjon?

Approximate pronunciations (standard Eastern Norwegian):

lønnslippen → [LØNN-slip-pen]
- lønn: like English “learn”, but with rounded lips on the vowel.
- slip: like English “slip”.
- -pen: unstressed pen, a short uh-like vowel and light n.
pensjon → [pen-SHOON]
- pen: like “pen” in English.
- -sjon: pronounced like “shoon” (long u sound, with sh).

Exact IPA (if you know it):

lønnslippen: [ˈlønːslɪpən]
pensjon: [pɛnˈʂuːn] (often [pɛnˈʃuːn])