Før gjestene kommer, rydder jeg kommoden og legger nøklene på nattbordet.

Because Norwegian follows the V2 rule in main clauses: the finite verb usually comes in the second position.

Here, the whole time clause Før gjestene kommer is placed first. That takes the first position, so the verb rydder must come next, and the subject jeg comes after it:

• Før gjestene kommer, rydder jeg ...

If you started directly with jeg, then you would get:

• Jeg rydder kommoden og legger nøklene på nattbordet før gjestene kommer.

That is also correct, just with a different emphasis.

It is a subordinate clause introduced by før, meaning a time relationship: something happens before something else.

Inside this clause, the word order is normal for a subordinate clause:

• gjestene = subject
• kommer = verb

So:

• Før gjestene kommer = before the guests come

A useful contrast:

• Når gjestene kommer, rydder jeg ... = When the guests come, I tidy...
• Før gjestene kommer, rydder jeg ... = Before the guests come, I tidy...

Because the sentence begins with a subordinate clause, and in standard Norwegian that clause is separated from the main clause with a comma.

So the structure is:

• Før gjestene kommer, = introductory subordinate clause
• rydder jeg kommoden og legger nøklene på nattbordet. = main clause

This is very common in written Norwegian.

Norwegian often uses the present tense for future meaning, especially when the time is clear from the context.

So gjestene kommer can mean the guests are coming / the guests come, even if it refers to a future event.

That is normal in Norwegian:

• Jeg drar i morgen. = I’m leaving tomorrow.
• Toget går klokka seks. = The train leaves at six.

Here, før already makes the timing clear, so the present tense sounds natural.

Because Norwegian usually shows definiteness by adding an ending to the noun instead of using a separate word like the.

In this sentence:

• gjestene = the guests
• kommoden = the dresser / chest of drawers
• nøklene = the keys
• nattbordet = the bedside table

So the endings are doing the job that the does in English.

A quick breakdown:

• gjest → gjester → gjestene
• nøkkel → nøkler → nøklene
• kommode → kommoden
• nattbord → nattbordet

Because both verbs have the same subject, jeg, so Norwegian normally mentions the subject once and then links the verbs with og.

So:

• rydder jeg kommoden og legger nøklene på nattbordet

means:

• I tidy the dresser and put the keys on the bedside table

Repeating jeg would usually sound unnecessary here.

The verb rydde is a broad word meaning things like tidy, clear up, put in order, or straighten up.

So rydder kommoden could mean:

• tidying the dresser
• clearing off the dresser
• putting the dresser area in order

The exact nuance depends on context. Norwegian often uses rydde in places where English might choose different verbs depending on the situation.

For example:

• rydde rommet = tidy the room
• rydde bordet = clear the table
• rydde kommoden = tidy/clear the dresser

Because legge is the normal verb for laying or putting something down, especially an object like keys.

So:

• legger nøklene på nattbordet = puts/places the keys on the bedside table

Norwegian often uses different placement verbs depending on how something is positioned:

• legge = lay/put down
• sette = set/put upright
• stille = place/stand in certain contexts

For keys, legge is the natural choice.

Because på means on, and the keys are being placed on the surface of the bedside table.

• på nattbordet = on the bedside table

If they were inside it, you would use i:

• i nattbordet = in the bedside table

So the preposition depends on location:

• på for a surface
• i for inside something

Yes. A very natural alternative is:

• Jeg rydder kommoden og legger nøklene på nattbordet før gjestene kommer.

That version is grammatically correct too.

The difference is mainly emphasis:

• Før gjestene kommer, ... puts the time frame first
• Jeg rydder ... før gjestene kommer starts with the action instead

Both are common in Norwegian.