Learn Hardcore Norwegian: I den siste kolonnen i tabellen skriver vi korte eksempler på hver verbtid. - In the last column in the table we write short examples of each verb tense.

In Norwegian, i is used when you are inside something or thinking of it as a container or area, and på is used more for surfaces or “on top of” something.

A column in a table is seen as an area that contains cells, so you write i en kolonne (in a column), just like i en rad (in a row) or i en boks (in a box).

So i den siste kolonnen i tabellen literally means in the last column in the table and sounds natural.
På den siste kolonnen would sound wrong here to a native speaker.

Why do we say den siste kolonnen instead of just siste kolonne?

Both den siste kolonnen and siste kolonne are possible, but they feel slightly different.

den siste kolonnen = the last column (very clearly “that specific last column we both know about”).
siste kolonne can also mean the last column, but without the den it sounds a bit more like a neutral description than a pointed reference.

In practice, with a following specification like i tabellen, many speakers will naturally choose den siste kolonnen to make it clear: the last column in that table.

What does the -en ending in kolonnen mean?

The -en ending is the definite singular ending for a common-gender noun (the “the”-form).

en kolonne = a column (indefinite singular)
kolonnen = the column (definite singular)

So den siste kolonnen literally breaks down as:

den = that/the (demonstrative/article)
siste = last
kolonnen = the column

Together: the last column.

Why is it i tabellen and not just i tabell?

Again, the -en marks the definite form: tabellen = the table.

en tabell = a table (in the sense of a chart)
tabellen = the table

Here you are talking about a specific table (probably one shown on the page), so you naturally say i tabellen (in the table), not i tabell.

Why is the verb order skriver vi instead of vi skriver?

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in the second position in the sentence.

Here, the sentence starts with an adverbial phrase: I den siste kolonnen i tabellen. That whole phrase counts as position 1.
Position 2 must be the verb, so we say:

I den siste kolonnen i tabellen
skriver
vi korte eksempler på hver verbtid.

If you started with the subject, you would say Vi skriver korte eksempler …, but because you start with a place expression, it has to become … skriver vi ….

Why is skriver in the present tense here? In English I might say “we will write”.

Norwegian often uses the present tense to talk about instructions, routines and typical actions, where English might use “will” or “are going to”.

So skriver vi can mean:

we write (as a general rule)
or, in an instructional context, very close to we will write / we are going to write.

In e.g. textbook instructions or classroom talk, present tense is the standard choice: I denne øvelsen skriver vi … (In this exercise, we write …).

Why is it korte eksempler and not kort eksempler?

Eksempler is indefinite plural (more than one example, not specific ones). In Norwegian, adjectives agree with the noun in number and definiteness:

et kort eksempel = a short example (singular)
korte eksempler = short examples (plural, indefinite)

So the adjective takes the plural form korte to match eksempler.

Why is the preposition på used in korte eksempler på hver verbtid?

The combination eksempel på is a fixed pattern in Norwegian, just like example of in English.

You almost always say:

et eksempel på noe = an example of something
korte eksempler på hver verbtid = short examples of each verb tense

Other prepositions like av or for would sound wrong with eksempel in this sense.

Why do we say hver verbtid without an article? Why not hver verbtiden or hver verbtida?

The word hver (each / every) in Norwegian is always followed by a singular, indefinite noun:

hver dag = every day
hver student = each student
hver verbtid = each verb tense

You cannot combine hver with a definite form (hver verbtiden is ungrammatical). So the pattern is hver + [indefinite singular noun].

Is verbtid one word or two, and what does it literally mean?

Verbtid is written as one compound word in Norwegian. It literally means “verb time”, which corresponds to English verb tense.

Forms:

en verbtid = a verb tense
verbtiden = the verb tense
verbtider = verb tenses
verbtidene = the verb tenses

So hver verbtid = each verb tense.

Could I move the place phrase to the end and say: Vi skriver korte eksempler på hver verbtid i den siste kolonnen i tabellen?

Yes, that is also a correct sentence, and probably the most neutral word order in everyday speech:

Vi skriver korte eksempler på hver verbtid i den siste kolonnen i tabellen.

Starting with I den siste kolonnen i tabellen puts extra focus on where you write them. Both versions are grammatical; the original simply emphasizes the location more.

What is the nuance of siste in den siste kolonnen? Does it mean “last” or “latest”?

Siste can mean both last/final and latest, depending on context.

In this sentence, with a specific table layout, den siste kolonnen clearly means the last/final column (the column that comes at the end).
In other contexts, for example den siste boka jeg leste (the last book I read), siste can mean the most recent one. Here, the “final column in the table” reading is the natural one.