Det tar ikke lang tid å sette opp tørkestativet når rommet er ryddig.

In this sentence, det is a formal subject or dummy subject. It does not refer to a specific thing like it often does in English.

Det tar ... is a very common Norwegian pattern meaning it takes ... in the sense of time.

So:

• Det tar lang tid = It takes a long time
• Det tar ikke lang tid = It doesn’t take long

This is just the normal way to express duration in Norwegian.

Tar is the present tense of å ta (to take).

Here are the forms:

• å ta = to take
• tar = takes / is taking
• tok = took
• har tatt = has taken

The sentence is stating a general fact, so Norwegian uses the present tense:

• Det tar ikke lang tid ... = It doesn’t take long ...

If you wanted the past, you could say:

• Det tok ikke lang tid ... = It didn’t take long ...

In a normal main clause, Norwegian usually puts ikke after the finite verb.

So the pattern is often:

• Subject + verb + ikke

That is exactly what happens here:

• Det
  • tar
    • ikke

Compare:

• Han kommer ikke. = He is not coming.
• Jeg forstår ikke. = I do not understand.

So Det tar ikke lang tid follows standard Norwegian word order.

Because after det tar, Norwegian normally uses tid without an article when talking about how much time something requires.

So:

• Det tar lang tid = It takes a long time
• Det tar kort tid = It takes a short time

Using en lang tid here would sound unnatural in this structure.

This is similar to how English says:

• It takes a long time

but Norwegian does not insert en in this expression.

Å sette opp is a verb phrase meaning to set up, to put up, or to assemble, depending on context.

It is made of:

• å sette = to put / set
• opp = up

Together, sette opp often works like a phrasal verb.

In this sentence:

• å sette opp tørkestativet = to set up the drying rack

The meaning is not just put in a general sense, but specifically put up / unfold / assemble for use.

The å marks the infinitive, like English to in to set up.

So:

• å sette opp = to set up

After expressions like det tar tid, Norwegian often uses an infinitive phrase to say what takes time:

• Det tar tid å lære norsk. = It takes time to learn Norwegian.
• Det tar ikke lang tid å sette opp tørkestativet. = It doesn’t take long to set up the drying rack.

So å sette opp tørkestativet is the action that the sentence is talking about.

Tørkestativet means the drying rack.

It is built from:

• tørke = dry
• stativ = stand / rack

Together:

• tørkestativ = drying rack

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

So:

• et tørkestativ = a drying rack
• tørkestativet = the drying rack

Norwegian often adds definiteness as an ending instead of using a separate word like the.

Here, når means when and introduces a time clause.

• når = when
• da = when, but usually about a specific event in the past
• hvis = if

In this sentence, the meaning is something like whenever / when the room is tidy, so når fits well.

Examples:

• Når rommet er ryddig, går alt lettere. = When the room is tidy, everything is easier.
• Da rommet var ryddig, begynte vi. = When the room was tidy, we started.
• Hvis rommet er ryddig, går alt lettere. = If the room is tidy, everything is easier.

Sometimes når and hvis can both work, but når often suggests something expected or regular, while hvis is more purely conditional.

Because når rommet er ryddig is a subordinate clause.

In Norwegian, subordinate clauses usually keep a more straightforward word order:

• subject + verb + other elements

So:

• når rommet er ryddig

That is different from many main clauses in Norwegian, where the verb often comes in second position.

Compare:

• Rommet er ryddig. = The room is tidy.
• Når rommet er ryddig, ... = When the room is tidy, ...

If you added ikke, you would really notice the subordinate clause pattern:

• Rommet er ikke ryddig.
• Når rommet ikke er ryddig, ...

In subordinate clauses, ikke normally comes before the finite verb’s complement but after the subject, as in når rommet ikke er ryddig.

Ryddig usually means tidy, neat, or organized.

So:

• rommet er ryddig = the room is tidy

This describes the state of the room.

Ryddet is the past participle of å rydde (to tidy / clear up) and would mean something more like tidied up.

Both can sometimes be possible, but they are not exactly the same:

• Rommet er ryddig. = The room is tidy.
  Focus: its condition is neat.
• Rommet er ryddet. = The room has been tidied up.
  Focus: the action of tidying has been done.

In your sentence, ryddig sounds very natural because the idea is that the room is in a tidy, organized state.

Rommet is the definite form and means the room.

• et rom = a room
• rommet = the room

The sentence is talking about a specific room that the speaker and listener can identify from context, so the definite form is natural.

In real usage, Norwegian often uses the definite form where English might also say the room:

• når rommet er ryddig = when the room is tidy

If you said når et rom er ryddig, it would sound more general, like when a room is tidy.

Yes, very common. The structure is:

• Det tar ikke lang tid + å-infinitive + når-clause

So the sentence breaks down like this:

• Det tar ikke lang tid = It doesn’t take long
• å sette opp tørkestativet = to set up the drying rack
• når rommet er ryddig = when the room is tidy

This kind of pattern is extremely useful and natural in Norwegian. You can reuse it easily:

• Det tar ikke lang tid å lage middag. = It doesn’t take long to make dinner.
• Det tar ikke lang tid å finne ting når huset er ryddig. = It doesn’t take long to find things when the house is tidy.

So this sentence is a very good model for everyday Norwegian.