Etter møtet leser jeg referatet før jeg går hjem.

This is because Norwegian follows the V2 rule in main clauses: the finite verb must come in second position.

So the sentence is structured like this:

• Etter møtet = first element
• leser = finite verb in second position
• jeg = subject
• referatet = object

In English, you can say After the meeting, I read the minutes, with the subject still before the verb.
In Norwegian, when you move a time expression like Etter møtet to the front, the verb usually comes before the subject:

• Jeg leser referatet etter møtet.
• Etter møtet leser jeg referatet.

Both are possible, but the second one shows the usual Norwegian inversion after fronting.

The ending -et is the definite singular ending for many neuter nouns.

Here are the base forms:

• et møte = a meeting

• møtet = the meeting

• et referat = a report / summary / set of minutes
• referatet = the report / the summary / the minutes

Unlike English, Norwegian often puts the at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word.

So:

• et møte = a meeting
• møtet = the meeting

Because før introduces a subordinate clause, and subordinate clauses normally keep subject + verb order.

So you get:

• før jeg går hjem

not

• før går jeg hjem

This is different from the main clause, where Norwegian uses the V2 rule. Compare:

• Main clause: Etter møtet leser jeg referatet
• Subordinate clause: før jeg går hjem

A useful pattern to remember is:

• Main clause: often V2
• Subordinate clause: usually subject + verb

Here, før is a conjunction, because it introduces a whole clause:

• før jeg går hjem

That clause has its own subject (jeg) and verb (går).

By contrast, etter in Etter møtet is a preposition, because it is followed by a noun phrase:

• etter møtet

So in this sentence:

• etter
  • noun phrase
• før
  • clause

Norwegian uses the present tense in several situations where English might also use present, but sometimes where English could use will or another future expression.

This sentence can describe:

• a habit or routine: After the meeting, I read the minutes before I go home
• a planned sequence in the near future: After the meeting, I’ll read the minutes before I go home

Norwegian often lets the time expression make the meaning clear, so the plain present tense is very common.

If you wanted past time, you would change the verbs:

• Etter møtet leste jeg referatet før jeg gikk hjem.

Because Norwegian usually marks definiteness by adding an ending to the noun.

So instead of saying a separate word like English the meeting, Norwegian often says:

• møtet = the meeting
• referatet = the report / the minutes

This is one of the biggest differences from English.
The definite article is usually attached to the noun.

Because hjem often works on its own in expressions of movement toward home.

So:

• jeg går hjem = I go home
• jeg drar hjem = I go home / leave for home
• jeg kommer hjem = I come home

Using til here would usually sound wrong in standard Norwegian.

This is similar to English, where you say go home, not go to home.

In this context, referat most naturally means minutes, meeting notes, or a summary/report of what was said at the meeting.

Because the sentence mentions møtet, the most likely meaning is:

• the meeting minutes
• the meeting summary

So referatet is probably the written record connected to that meeting.

Normally, no.

In modern Norwegian, you generally do not put a comma before a subordinate clause that comes after the main clause:

• Etter møtet leser jeg referatet før jeg går hjem.

But if the subordinate clause comes first, you normally put a comma after it:

• Før jeg går hjem, leser jeg referatet.

So the original sentence is correctly written without a comma before før.

You could, and it is understandable, but the original version is often clearer and more natural.

Why? Because putting Etter møtet first clearly sets the time frame right away:

• Etter møtet leser jeg referatet før jeg går hjem.

If you keep both time expressions later in the sentence, it can feel a little heavier or slightly more ambiguous:

• Jeg leser referatet etter møtet før jeg går hjem.

So the original sentence is a very natural way to organize the information:

1. After the meeting
2. I read the minutes
3. before I go home