Appelsinene er frosne, så vi lar dem ligge på kjøkkenbenken en stund.

Appelsinene is the definite plural form: the oranges.

• en appelsin = an orange
• appelsiner = oranges
• appelsinene = the oranges

In this sentence, we are talking about specific oranges already known in the situation, so Norwegian uses the definite plural.

Because the adjective has to agree with what it describes.

Here, appelsinene is plural, so the predicate adjective becomes frosne.

Compare:

• Appelsinen er frossen. = The orange is frozen.
• Eplet er frosset. = The apple is frozen.
• Appelsinene er frosne. = The oranges are frozen.

A rough pattern is:

• common gender singular: often -en
• neuter singular: often -et
• plural / definite: often -ne

So frosne matches the plural noun appelsinene.

It means frozen in the sense that the oranges have become very cold and solid from freezing.

It describes a state, not an action happening right now. So it is like saying:

• The oranges are frozen not
• The oranges are freezing

Norwegian often uses past-participle-looking forms like this as adjectives.

Here så means so, therefore, or as a result.

The sentence has two parts:

• Appelsinene er frosne = The oranges are frozen
• så vi lar dem ligge... = so we leave them lying / so we let them stay...

So så connects cause and result.

Lar is the present tense of å la, which often means to let, to allow, or to leave.

In this sentence, vi lar dem ligge means something like:

• we let them lie
• we leave them to sit
• more natural English: we leave them on the counter

So lar is not about teaching or learning; it is the verb å la.

Because dem is the object form of the pronoun.

• de = they
• dem = them

Here, the oranges are receiving the action of lar, so Norwegian uses dem:

• vi = subject
• lar = verb
• dem = object

In formal written Norwegian, this distinction is standard.

After lar, Norwegian uses the infinitive without å.

So:

• å ligge = to lie
• vi lar dem ligge = we let them lie / we leave them lying

This is similar to English structures like:

• let them go
• make him wait

You do not say vi lar dem ligger, because after lar you need the infinitive form, not the present tense.

This is an important Norwegian distinction.

• ligge = to lie / be lying / be in a resting position
• legge = to lay / put something down

Here the oranges are already on the counter and remain there, so ligge is correct.

Compare:

• Vi legger dem på kjøkkenbenken. = We put them on the kitchen counter.
• Vi lar dem ligge på kjøkkenbenken. = We leave them on the kitchen counter.

So legge is about placing them there; ligge is about their position afterward.

Because Norwegian very often forms compound nouns as one word.

• kjøkken = kitchen
• benk = bench / counter
• kjøkkenbenk = kitchen counter
• kjøkkenbenken = the kitchen counter

English often writes these as separate words, but Norwegian usually joins them into one compound noun.

That -en marks the definite singular: the kitchen counter.

Compare:

• en kjøkkenbenk = a kitchen counter
• kjøkkenbenken = the kitchen counter

So the sentence means they are left on the kitchen counter, not just on any counter.

En stund means a while or for some time.

• stund is a common-gender noun, so it takes en
• en stund is a very common expression meaning a short period of time

So ligge på kjøkkenbenken en stund means:

• lie on the kitchen counter for a while
• more natural English: stay on the kitchen counter for a while

Because this så is being used as a coordinating conjunction meaning so.

That means the next clause keeps normal main-clause word order:

• så vi lar dem ligge...

with subject + verb:

• vi
  • lar

If this were a subordinating structure, the word order could be different, but here it behaves like English so:

• The oranges are frozen, so we leave them...

Both are helpful ways to understand it.

Literally:

• vi lar dem ligge = we let them lie

Natural English:

• we leave them on the kitchen counter
• we leave them there for a while

So the Norwegian phrasing focuses on letting them remain in that position, while natural English often chooses leave rather than let lie.