Busstoppet stenges noen ganger når veien bygges om.

The bus stop is sometimes closed when the road is being rebuilt.

Breakdown of Busstoppet stenges noen ganger når veien bygges om.

• når: when
• noen ganger: sometimes
• stenge: to close
• veien: the road
• busstoppet: the bus stop
• bygge om: to rebuild

Questions & Answers about Busstoppet stenges noen ganger når veien bygges om.

What does “stenges” mean, and what’s the -s?

stenges is the s-passive of stenge (to close). It means “is closed” or “gets closed,” with no agent mentioned (who closes it). So Busstoppet stenges = “The bus stop is (sometimes) closed.”

Could I use “er stengt” or “blir stengt” instead of “stenges”? What’s the difference?

• stenges: passive, neutral/habitual or general process. “is/gets closed.”
• blir stengt: focuses on the event of becoming closed. “gets closed” (dynamic).
• er stengt: the resulting state. “is closed.” All three can fit here:
• Busstoppet stenges noen ganger … (neutral)
• Busstoppet blir noen ganger stengt … (event-focused)
• Busstoppet er noen ganger stengt … (state-focused)

Why is it “bygges om” (passive) and not “bygger om”?

Because the road is the thing being acted on.

• Active: De bygger om veien. (“They are rebuilding the road.”)
• Passive: Veien bygges om. (“The road is being rebuilt.”)
  You can also say: Veien blir bygget/ bygd om (bli-passive).

What does “bygge om” mean, and why is “om” at the end?

bygge om is a particle verb meaning “to rebuild/convert/remodel.” In the passive, the particle stays after the verb: bygges om. A more formal, compact alternative is ombygges (“Veien ombygges”), but everyday Norwegian prefers bygges om.

Why present tense “bygges” if English would say “is being rebuilt”?

Norwegian present can cover English present progressive. Veien bygges om naturally means “the road is being rebuilt.”

Where can I place “noen ganger” in the sentence?

• Neutral: Busstoppet stenges noen ganger når …
• Emphasis on frequency: Noen ganger stenges busstoppet når …
  Avoid putting it at the very end after the når-clause; that sounds odd.

Why is there no comma before “når”?

When a subordinate clause comes last, Norwegian normally doesn’t use a comma:
Busstoppet stenges noen ganger når veien bygges om.
If the når-clause comes first, add a comma after it:
Når veien bygges om, stenges busstoppet noen ganger.

“når” vs “da” vs “mens” — which one and why?

• når = when/whenever (present, future, or repeated/habitual time): Når veien bygges om …
• da = when (one specific past time): Busstoppet ble stengt da veien ble bygget/bygd om i 2019.
• mens = while (simultaneity): Busstoppet stenges mens veien bygges om.

Does the subordinate clause change word order?

Yes. In subordinate clauses, Norwegian does not use V2. You get Subject–Verb order: når veien bygges om (S–V–…). In main clauses you keep V2: Busstoppet stenges …
If you front the subordinate clause: Når veien bygges om, stenges busstoppet … (verb before subject in the main clause).

Why are “Busstoppet” and “veien” in the definite form?

They refer to a specific, known bus stop and road, so Norwegian uses the definite: busstoppet (“the bus stop”), veien (“the road”). Indefinite would be et busstopp, en vei.

Is “bussholdeplassen” acceptable instead of “busstoppet”?

Yes. bussholdeplass(en) and busstopp(et) are both used. busstopp is shorter and very common; bussholdeplass can feel a bit more formal/official. Meaning is the same in this context.

What are the genders and forms of “busstopp” and “vei/veg”?

• busstopp: neuter. Singular indef. et busstopp, singular def. busstoppet, plural indef. busstopp, plural def. busstoppene.
• vei: masculine in Bokmål. Singular indef. en vei, singular def. veien.
  You can also use the alternative form veg/vegen in Bokmål (and it’s standard in Nynorsk).

Are there good synonyms for “noen ganger”?

Yes: av og til (very common), innimellom, til tider, sommetider/somme tider (a bit more formal/old-fashioned). All mean “sometimes.”

Can I use “hvis” instead of “når”?

Not here if you mean “when/whenever.” Hvis means “if” (a condition): Hvis veien bygges om, stenges busstoppet = “If the road is rebuilt, the bus stop will be closed.” Når expresses time rather than condition.

Can I rephrase with a noun like “ombygging”?

Yes:

• Busstoppet stenges noen ganger når veien er under ombygging.
• Busstoppet stenges noen ganger under ombygging av veien.
• More general: … når det er veiarbeid.

Any quick pronunciation tips?

• busstoppet: stress on the first syllable: BUSS-stopp-et.
• stenges: STENG-ess (both e’s like in “bed”).
• noen: NOO-en (often two syllables).
• ganger: GANG-er (hard g).
• veien: VAI-en (like “vie-en”).
• bygges: BYGG-ess; Norwegian y is like German ü (fronted “oo”).
• om: like English “om” in “om-nivorous” without the n.