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Questions & Answers about Akkurat nå venter vi på bussen.
Why does the verb come before the subject after Akkurat nå?
Norwegian main clauses follow the verb-second (V2) rule. When you put a time phrase like Akkurat nå at the start, the finite verb (venter) must come next, and the subject (vi) follows: Akkurat nå venter vi …. Without fronting, you’d have the normal subject–verb order: Vi venter på bussen ….
Can I put akkurat nå somewhere else?
Yes. All of these are natural, with slightly different emphasis:
- Akkurat nå venter vi på bussen. (Emphasizes the time: right now)
- Nå venter vi på bussen. (Also fine; a bit less emphatic than akkurat nå)
- Vi venter på bussen akkurat nå. (Neutral statement; time at the end)
Why is it venter på and not venter for/to?
The verb vente takes the preposition på when it means wait for someone/something: vente på noe/noen. Other useful pairs:
- vente til + tidspunkt = wait until (a time): vente til i morgen
- vente med + å + verb = postpone: vente med å spise
Does på bussen here mean on the bus?
With vente på, på belongs to the verb and means for. So venter på bussen = wait for the bus. To say you are on the bus, you’d use a different verb: Vi er på bussen (we are on the bus).
Why is it bussen (definite) and not en buss (indefinite)?
Norwegian often uses the definite form when a specific, identifiable item is meant—the scheduled bus we’re expecting—so bussen fits. En buss would mean any bus in general, and is less typical in a context where speakers know which bus they’re waiting for.
How do I negate this sentence?
Place ikke after the finite verb (and after the subject when there’s inversion): Akkurat nå venter vi ikke på bussen. Without fronting: Vi venter ikke på bussen akkurat nå.
How do I ask a yes/no question?
Invert subject and verb: Venter vi på bussen akkurat nå? If you’re asking another group: Venter dere på bussen nå? You can keep or drop akkurat depending on emphasis.
Is there a progressive form like English are waiting?
Norwegian doesn’t need a special progressive. Venter covers both waits and is waiting; context decides. You can add nuance with constructions like Vi står/sitter og venter, or colloquially Vi driver og venter, but you don’t say er venter.
Can I emphasize the manner, like standing or sitting while waiting?
Yes, very natural: Vi står og venter (på bussen). / Vi sitter og venter (på bussen). These posture + og + verb constructions highlight how the action is being carried out.
Where do other adverbs go, e.g., dessverre (unfortunately), bare (only), kanskje (maybe)?
They typically go in the mid-field after the verb (and subject if inverted):
- Akkurat nå venter vi dessverre på bussen.
- Vi venter bare på bussen nå.
- Kanskje venter vi på bussen nå. (fronted adverb = inversion)
How do I pronounce the words?
- Akkurat: roughly AH-koo-raht (clear tapped/trilled r)
- nå and på: long vowel like a rounded “aw” (Norwegian å)
- venter: VEN-ter (short e as in bed; r tapped/trilled)
- bussen: BU-sen but with a fronted u (like French u/German ü), doubled s gives a short vowel
What are the basic forms of vente?
- Infinitive: å vente
- Present: venter
- Past (preterite): ventet
- Past participle: ventet
- Imperative: vent!
- Present participle (attributive): ventende (e.g., ventende passasjerer = waiting passengers)
Do I need a comma after Akkurat nå?
No comma is needed: Akkurat nå venter vi på bussen. Norwegian generally uses fewer commas than English in such cases.
Is nå ever written no?
Yes, in Nynorsk and many dialects it’s no. For example, Nynorsk: No ventar vi på bussen. In Bokmål you write nå.