Bussen er langsom når det er mye trafikk.

The bus is slow when there is a lot of traffic.

Breakdown of Bussen er langsom når det er mye trafikk.

• være: to be
• når: when
• mye: a lot
• bussen: the bus

Questions & Answers about Bussen er langsom når det er mye trafikk.

Why is it Bussen (with -en) and not just buss?

Buss is a masculine noun. The ending -en makes it definite: bussen = “the bus.” Norwegian often uses the definite singular to make general statements about a type of thing or a service, so Bussen er langsom... can mean “the bus (as a mode of transport/this bus service) is slow...,” not necessarily one particular physical bus.

Could I say Busser er langsomme når det er mye trafikk instead?

Yes. That means “Buses are slow when there is a lot of traffic,” a general statement about buses in plural. Both are fine:

• Bussen er langsom... = generic definite (often about a service/route).
• Busser er langsomme... = general plural statement about buses as a class.

Why is it langsom and not langsomme after er?

Predicate adjectives (after “to be”) generally use the indefinite form and agree with the subject:

• m/f singular: langsom → Bussen er langsom.
• neuter singular: langsomt → Toget er langsomt.
• plural: langsomme → Bussene er langsomme. Only attributive adjectives before a definite noun take the definite form: den langsomme bussen.

Could I write ?