Breakdown of Manden bliver utålmodig når han skal vente på bussen.
han
he
manden
the man
bussen
the bus
vente på
to wait for
Questions & Answers about Manden bliver utålmodig når han skal vente på bussen.
How does the prefix u- change the meaning in utålmodig?
The prefix u- is the Danish equivalent of 'un-', 'in-', or 'im-' in English. It negates the meaning of the adjective it attaches to. Here, it attaches to the root word tålmodig (patient) to create utålmodig (impatient).
Why use når for 'when' here instead of da?
In Danish, når is used for things that happen repeatedly (whenever) or in the present and future tenses. Because the man becoming impatient is a general statement in the present tense (bliver), we use når. If this were a single event in the past, you would use da.
Why do we use the preposition på in vente på bussen?
In Danish, the verb vente (to wait) requires the preposition på when you are waiting for someone or something. Prepositions rarely translate word-for-word between English and Danish, so it is best to memorize vente på as a fixed phrase.
Why is there no at (to) before the verb vente?
Because vente directly follows skal, which is a modal verb. Just like in English, modal verbs in Danish take the bare infinitive of the following verb. Therefore, you drop the infinitive marker at and just say skal vente (must wait).