Jeg legger salami på en brødskive før møtet.

Legger is the present tense of the verb å legge.

• å legge = to put / to lay
• jeg legger = I put / I am putting

So in a full sentence with jeg, you need the conjugated form legger, not the infinitive legge.

Examples:

• Jeg legger salami på brødskiven. = I put salami on the slice of bread.
• Jeg vil legge salami på brødskiven. = I want to put salami on the slice of bread.

After a modal verb like vil, you use the infinitive legge.

In this sentence, salami is being used like an uncountable food substance, similar to how English says I put salami on a slice of bread rather than I put a salami on a slice of bread.

So:

• salami = salami, some salami

If you said en salami, that would usually mean a salami sausage as a whole item, not just slices or some amount of it.

This is very common with foods in Norwegian:

• Jeg spiser ost. = I eat cheese.
• Hun kjøper skinke. = She buys ham.

På means on here, and en brødskive means a slice of bread.

So:

• på = on
• en brødskive = a slice of bread

The phrase works very much like English:

• on a slice of bread

Norwegian often uses på with food placed on bread:

• ost på brødskiven = cheese on the slice of bread
• syltetøy på brødskiven = jam on the slice of bread

Because brødskive is a common gender noun in Norwegian, so it takes en in Bokmål.

• en brødskive = a slice of bread
• brødskiven = the slice of bread

Even though brød is a neuter noun (et brød = a loaf / bread), the compound noun brødskive has its own gender, and that gender is en.

This is normal in Norwegian compounds: the final part usually determines the gender.

Because Norwegian, like German and unlike English in many cases, often writes compound nouns as one word.

So:

• brød
  • skive = brødskive

This literally means something like bread-slice, but in natural English it is slice of bread.

Other examples:

• frokostbord = breakfast table
• matpakke = packed lunch
• kaffekopp = coffee cup

This is something English speakers often have to get used to.

Før møtet means before the meeting.

Here:

• før = before
• møtet = the meeting

The noun møte is a neuter noun:

• et møte = a meeting
• møtet = the meeting

So før møtet literally means before the meeting.

Norwegian often uses the definite form like this when referring to a specific event that is understood from context.

Yes, but it changes the meaning slightly.

• før møtet = before the meeting
  → a specific meeting, probably known to both speaker and listener

• før et møte = before a meeting
  → any meeting, or one not specifically identified

So in your sentence, før møtet suggests a particular meeting is meant.

It is in the present tense.

• Jeg legger ... = I put / I am putting

In Norwegian, the present tense can often cover both:

• a habitual action: I put salami on bread before the meeting
• an action happening now or around now: I’m putting salami on a slice of bread before the meeting
• sometimes even a near-future sense, depending on context

Norwegian present tense is quite flexible, much like English in some situations.

Yes. This is the standard Norwegian word order for a simple main clause:

Subject + verb + object/place/time

In this sentence:

• Jeg = subject
• legger = verb
• salami = object
• på en brødskive = place/result phrase
• før møtet = time phrase

So the sentence structure is very natural and straightforward.

Yes. Norwegian allows some flexibility, especially with time expressions.

For example:

• Jeg legger salami på en brødskive før møtet.
• Før møtet legger jeg salami på en brødskive.

Both are correct.

But if you move før møtet to the front, Norwegian main clause word order requires the verb to come second:

• Før møtet legger jeg ...

Not:

• Før møtet jeg legger ... ❌

This is an important Norwegian word-order rule, often called the V2 rule.

This is a very common point of confusion.

• å legge = to lay / to put something somewhere
  → usually takes an object
• å ligge = to lie / be lying
  → describes location or position

Compare:

• Jeg legger salami på en brødskive. = I put salami on a slice of bread.
• Salamien ligger på brødskiven. = The salami is lying / is on the slice of bread.

So legger is the action of placing it there, while ligger describes where it is afterward.

Usually, å legge is the more natural verb here.

• å legge is used for placing something down, especially something lying flat
• å sette is more like set / place upright or put in some contexts, but it often sounds less natural for food like this

So for slices of salami on bread, legger is the best choice.

Compare:

• Jeg setter koppen på bordet. = I put the cup on the table.
• Jeg legger boka på bordet. = I lay the book on the table.

Food on bread is typically something you legger på.

You would say brødskiven.

So:

• en brødskive = a slice of bread
• brødskiven = the slice of bread

Example:

• Jeg legger salami på brødskiven før møtet. = I put salami on the slice of bread before the meeting.

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun:

• en bil → bilen
• et møte → møtet
• en brødskive → brødskiven

Yes, it is grammatically natural. But depending on context, a native speaker might also choose slightly different wording.

For example:

• Jeg legger salami på en brødskive før møtet.
• Jeg lager meg en brødskive med salami før møtet. = I make myself a slice of bread with salami before the meeting.
• Jeg spiser en brødskive med salami før møtet. = I eat a slice of bread with salami before the meeting.

Your original sentence is perfectly fine if the focus is specifically on the action of putting the salami on the bread.