Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Studenten spør om bussen er billigere for ansatte ved universitetet. - The student asks if the bus is cheaper for employees at the university.

Om here is used as a conjunction meaning “if” or “whether”, introducing an indirect question (the student asks whether the bus is cheaper…). It is not the preposition om meaning “about.”

Why is the word order bussen er billigere and not er bussen billigere?

In Norwegian subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like om, the verb stays in second position after the subject. So inside the clause it’s a statement—bussen er billigere—not a direct question.

Why is bussen in the definite form?

The definite form (with -en) indicates the bus, a specific bus already known in context. In English we’d say the bus rather than just “bus.”

Why is ansatte not in the definite form?

Ansatte here is the indefinite plural of ansatt (“employee”). Indefinite plurals don’t take an ending like -ene. So it simply means “employees” in general.

What does ved universitetet mean?

Ved + the definite noun universitetet means “at” or “by” the university in the sense of affiliation or employment: employees at the university. You might hear på universitetet for physical location, but ved emphasizes the institution as employer.

Why is the comparative billigere used without any extra ending?

Comparative adjectives in Norwegian take -ere (billig → billigere) and are not inflected further when used predicatively after er. The form stays the same regardless of gender or number.

Could I replace spør om with another verb?

Yes. In informal speech you often hear lurer på (“wonders about”):
Studenten lurer på om bussen er billigere for ansatte ved universitetet.
But spør om (“asks if/whether”) is perfectly correct and slightly more formal.

What’s the difference between om and hvorvidt?

Both can mean “if/whether.” Om is more common and used in everyday speech. Hvorvidt is more formal or found in written Norwegian; you wouldn’t hear it as often in casual conversation.