Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Det er ingen vits i å vente her.

In this idiom, vits means the same as English “point,” “use,” or “sense” (as in “There’s no point/use in …”). Outside this idiom, en vits most commonly means “a joke.” The collocation (ingen/noe) vits i cues the “point/use” meaning, not “joke.”

How does the pattern Det er (ingen/noe) vits i å + infinitive work, and can I reuse it?

Yes. It’s a productive template:

Det er ingen vits i å + INF = “There’s no point in + -ing”
Det er ikke (noe) vits i å + INF = same meaning, very common Examples:
Det er ingen vits i å diskutere mer.
Det er ikke noe vits i å klage.

Why is it ingen vits and not something like an article (en vits)?

Because you’re negating the existence of any “point/use.” You use the negative quantifier ingen (“no/none”) with count nouns in the singular here. Closely related is the fixed expression ikke (noe) vits:

Det er ingen vits … (slightly more categorical)
Det er ikke (noe) vits … (very common colloquially) Avoid an article here; en vits would sound like “a joke.”

What’s the difference between ingen vits and ikke (noe) vits?

Meaning is essentially the same (“no point”). Nuance:

ingen vits can feel a touch stronger or more definitive.
ikke noe vits is extremely common in everyday speech. You’ll also hear ikke vits (dropping noe), which is colloquial. Using noen vits is less standard; noe vits is the usual set phrase.

Why is the preposition i used before å vente? Can I drop it?

The idiom is (ingen/noe) vits i [å + INF]: the preposition i (“in”) connects to the activity. In practice, many speakers also say:

Det er ingen vits å vente her. (without i) Both are widely used; including i is a safe, standard choice in writing.

Can I use for å instead of i å here?

No. for å means “in order to” (purpose), which is not the meaning. Stick with (ingen/noe) vits i å … or omit i in colloquial speech as noted above.

What’s the difference between å and og?

å = “to” (infinitive marker): å vente = “to wait.”
og = “and.” They’re often pronounced similarly, which causes spelling errors, but they function differently. If you’d say “to” in English, you want å.

What is det doing here? Is it “it” or “there”?

Det is a dummy/expletive subject, just like English “there” in “There is no point …” Norwegian needs a subject, so Det er … introduces the statement.

Can I move her earlier in the sentence?

The neutral version is … å vente her. You can front the place for emphasis:

Her er det ingen vits i å vente. But avoid splitting it as … i her å vente; that’s not natural.

When should I use her vs hit/dit?

her = “here” (location, static): vente her = “wait here.”
hit/dit = “to here/there” (motion): kom hit, dra dit. Since waiting is static, her is correct.

Why is it å vente (infinitive) and not some kind of -ing form?

Norwegian doesn’t use an English-style gerund in this construction. After (vits) i, you take an infinitive clause: i å vente. A noun like venting (“waiting” as a noun) exists, but Det er ingen vits i venting her sounds odd; use å + infinitive.

Are there natural synonyms or alternative phrasings?

Yes, with slightly different shades:

Det nytter ikke å vente her. (“It’s no use/help to wait here.”)
Det er ikke noe poeng i å vente her.
Det har ingen hensikt å vente her. (more formal)
Det er bortkastet å vente her. (“It’s a waste to wait here.”)

How do I add “anymore/any longer” to this sentence?

Use lenger:

Det er ingen vits i å vente her lenger. In negative contexts, lenger (not mer) is the natural choice for “any longer.”

What’s the gender and the basic forms of vits?

Masculine noun:

Singular: en vits, vitsen
Plural: vitser, vitsene But in this idiom you use quantifiers: ingen vits, ikke (noe) vits, rather than the article.

Why is it sometimes vits i and sometimes vitsen med?

Two common frames:

Quantified idiom: (ingen/noe) vits i å + INF / (ingen/noe) vits i det.
Definite “what’s the point”: Hva er vitsen med å + INF / med det? So use i with the quantified pattern, and med with the definite vitsen construction.

Any tips on pronunciation for this sentence?

Approximate guide (Bokmål, broad):

Det ≈ “deh”
er ≈ “ehr”
ingen ≈ “ING-en” (the g is part of the ng sound)
vits ≈ “vits” (like English “wits” with a v)
i ≈ “ee”
å ≈ long “oh”
vente ≈ “VEN-teh”
her ≈ “hair” (without the y-glide) Natural speech reduces and links these, but this will be understood.