Heldigvis kommer bussen snart.

to come

Breakdown of Heldigvis kommer bussen snart.

• snart: soon
• bussen: the bus
• heldigvis: fortunately

Questions & Answers about Heldigvis kommer bussen snart.

What does Heldigvis do in the sentence? Is it just “fortunately”?

Yes. Heldigvis means “fortunately” and is a sentence adverb. It comments on the whole statement (the speaker’s attitude), not on how the bus comes. Other sentence adverbs you’ll meet include dessverre (unfortunately), kanskje (perhaps), faktisk (actually), and sikkert (surely/probably).

Why is the verb kommer before the subject bussen?

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb is in second position. If you start the sentence with something other than the subject (here, the adverb Heldigvis), the verb must come next, and the subject follows:

• Neutral: Bussen kommer snart.
• With a fronted adverb: Heldigvis kommer bussen snart.

So is “Heldigvis bussen kommer snart” wrong?

Yes. That violates the V2 rule. After Heldigvis (first position), the verb must be second: Heldigvis kommer bussen snart.

Can I put heldigvis somewhere else?

Yes. Common options (all correct, slightly different emphasis):

• Bussen kommer heldigvis snart. (Very natural, neutral emphasis)
• Heldigvis kommer bussen snart. (Fronts the comment for extra emphasis)
• Bussen kommer snart, heldigvis. (Afterthought/parenthetical feel) Avoid: Bussen heldigvis kommer snart. (unnatural order)