Vi venter på flyet.

We are waiting for the plane.

Breakdown of Vi venter på flyet.

• vi: we
• vente på: to wait for
• flyet: the plane

Questions & Answers about Vi venter på flyet.

What does venter på mean? Why not venter for?

In Norwegian, å vente på means to wait for. You must use på with this verb in this meaning. Venter for is incorrect here. Examples:

• Jeg venter på bussen. = I’m waiting for the bus.
• Han venter på deg. = He’s waiting for you.

Could på flyet here mean “on the plane”?

Not in this sentence. With vente, the fixed phrase vente på + noun means wait for. If you mean physically on board, you’d say:

• Vi er/sitter på flyet. = We are/are sitting on the plane. So Vi venter på flyet means only We are waiting for the plane.

Why is it flyet (the plane) and not et fly (a plane) or just fly (planes)?

Norwegian marks definiteness with a suffix. Flyet is definite singular (the plane) and implies a specific plane known from context. Use:

• et fly when you mean a plane (non-specific)
• fly (plural) when you mean planes in general

What are the forms of fly?