Jeg legger bursdagskortet og gavekortet i en gavepose før vi drar.

In Norwegian, å legge is the most common verb for “to put/place” when you’re laying something down or placing it somewhere without emphasizing “upright position.”

• Jeg legger X i Y = “I put X in Y.”
  Å sette often implies setting something down in an upright or “standing” position (like placing a bottle on a table).
  Å putte means “to stuff/put (something) into” and can sound more like pushing something in, often used with smaller items or a more casual “pop it in” feeling: Jeg putter kortet i posen.

Legger is present tense. Norwegian present tense commonly covers both:

• habitual: “I (usually) put…”
• right-now action: “I’m putting…”

If you want to emphasize “right now,” you can add something like nå:
Jeg legger … nå.

-et is the definite singular ending for many neuter nouns in Norwegian (one of the three genders). It corresponds to “the” in English.

• et kort = a card
• kortet = the card
  So:
• bursdagskortet = “the birthday card”
• gavekortet = “the gift card”

Kort is typically neuter, so it uses:

• et (indefinite article): et kort
• -et (definite ending): kortet

Gender affects articles, adjective forms, and definite endings. Dictionaries usually mark gender (e.g., kort (n.) for neuter).

Because gavepose is indefinite here: “in a gift bag.”

• en gavepose = a gift bag (common gender)
• gaveposen = the gift bag

In the sentence, the speaker is putting the items into a (not previously specified) gift bag.

i is used for something being inside something:

• i en gavepose = in a gift bag

på would mean “on (top of)”:

• på bordet = on the table

So i is the natural choice because the items go into the bag.

This is the most neutral order: verb + direct objects + place phrase. You can reorder for emphasis, but it changes focus. Examples:

• Neutral: Jeg legger kortene i en gavepose.
• Emphasis on location: I en gavepose legger jeg kortene. (more marked; often used in writing or for contrast)

Because før introduces a subordinate clause (“before we leave”). In subordinate clauses, Norwegian typically keeps subject before verb (no V2 inversion):

• før vi drar = before we leave (subject vi
  • verb drar)

Compare with a main clause after a fronted element (where inversion happens):

• Før vi drar, legger jeg kortene i posen. (main clause legger jeg has inversion)

Yes, å dra originally means “to pull/drag,” but very commonly it means to leave/go (away) in everyday Norwegian:

• Vi drar = We’re leaving / We’re heading off

It’s a very normal, idiomatic verb for leaving.

Yes—Norwegian often makes compound nouns as single words:

• bursdag (birthday) + kort (card) → bursdagskort (birthday card)
  The -s- is a common linking sound in compounds.
• gave (gift) + kort (card) → gavekort (gift card)

Then the definite ending is added to the whole compound:

• bursdagskortet, gavekortet

Yes, but it changes meaning slightly:

• i en gavepose = in a gift bag (unspecified/new)
• i gaveposen = in the gift bag (a specific one you and the listener already know about)

You’d typically use plural forms:

• Indefinite plural: bursdagskort og gavekort
• Definite plural (common for specific known items): bursdagskortene og gavekortene

Example:

• Jeg legger bursdagskortene og gavekortene i en gavepose før vi drar.

Norwegian compounds usually have the main stress early, often on the first element:

• BURSdagskortet (primary stress near burs-)
• GAvekortet
• GAvepose

Also, the definite ending -et is usually unstressed and relatively light in speech.