Bussen venter foran stasjonen.

The bus is waiting in front of the station.

Breakdown of Bussen venter foran stasjonen.

• stasjonen: the station
• bussen: the bus
• vente: to wait
• foran: in front of

Questions & Answers about Bussen venter foran stasjonen.

Why do bussen and stasjonen both end in -en?

In Norwegian the definite article is attached to the end of the noun.

• en buss = “a bus”, bussen = “the bus”
• en stasjon = “a station”, stasjonen = “the station”

What is the infinitive of venter, and why isn’t there an auxiliary verb like er (“is”)?

The infinitive is å vente (“to wait”). venter is simply the present-tense form. Norwegian doesn’t use a helper verb to form the present tense—one verb form covers both “waits” and “is waiting.”

What does foran mean, and could I use på or ved instead?

foran means “in front of” (directly facing or positioned before something).

• på often means “on” or “at,” so venter på stasjonen could mean “waits at the station” or “waits for the station,” which can be ambiguous.
• ved means “by” or “beside,” so venter ved stasjonen would be “waits by the station,” a valid alternative if you just mean “near the station.”

What’s the difference between saying venter på stasjonen and venter foran stasjonen?

• venter på stasjonen = “waits at the station” (or “waits for the station,” if context implies waiting for something related to it).
• venter foran stasjonen = “waits in front of the station,” explicitly locating the bus just outside and facing the station entrance.

Could I say Bussen venter utenfor stasjonen instead of foran?

Yes. utenfor means “outside of.”

• venter utenfor stasjonen = “the bus is waiting outside the station” (a bit more general: anywhere outside the building).
• foran is more precise: right in front of the entrance or façade.

Can I rearrange the sentence to Foran stasjonen venter bussen?

Absolutely. Norwegian follows the V2 (verb-second) rule: if you put an adverbial (“foran stasjonen”) first, the verb stays in second position, and the subject follows it. Both orders are correct, with only a slight shift in emphasis.

How do you pronounce Bussen venter foran stasjonen?

Approximate English‐style pronunciation:
“BOO-sen VEN-ter FOH-ran stah-SHOO-en.”

• Bussen: “BOO-sen” (long “oo”, double “s” sound)
• venter: “VEN-ter” (short “e” like in “bed”)
• foran: “FOH-ran” (long “o” then “ran”)
• stasjonen: “stah-SHOO-en” (stress on “shoo”)