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?