Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jeg venter lenge på bussen.

Vente can sometimes be translated as expect, but usually then you’ll see a different structure, e.g. Jeg venter at ... or Jeg venter å ..., and even those are less common than English I expect…. In everyday speech, think of vente (på) as corresponding to wait (for).

Why is it present tense venter and not something like “am waiting”? Does Norwegian have a continuous tense?

Norwegian does not have a separate continuous/progressive tense like English (am waiting, is running).

The plain present tense venter covers both:

Jeg venter på bussen.
- I wait for the bus. (general habit)
- I am waiting for the bus. (right now)

Context tells you whether it’s a general statement or something happening now. In your sentence, with lenge, it’s naturally understood as I am waiting a long time for the bus.

What is the function of lenge? Is it like long or long time?

Lenge is an adverb meaning for a long time.

lang = an adjective: long
- en lang dag = a long day
lenge = an adverb: for a long time
- Jeg venter lenge. = I wait for a long time / I’m waiting a long time.

If you want to be a bit more explicit, you can also say:

Jeg venter i lang tid på bussen. = I am waiting for a long time for the bus.

But lenge by itself already means for a long time.

Why does lenge come before på bussen? Could I say Jeg venter på bussen lenge instead?

Both word orders are possible, but they sound slightly different.

Jeg venter lenge på bussen.
- The neutral, most common way to say it.
- Focus is simply: the waiting (for the bus) lasts a long time.
Jeg venter på bussen lenge.
- Grammatically OK, but sounds a bit more marked or less natural in many contexts.
- Often feels like you’re adding lenge as an afterthought or for extra emphasis.

For a learner, it’s safest and most natural to put lenge before the prepositional phrase:

Jeg venter lenge på bussen.

Why do you say vente på bussen? Why is the preposition på used, and can you drop it?

With vente, Norwegian normally uses the preposition på when you mean wait for something or someone:

å vente på noe/noen = to wait for something/someone
- Jeg venter på bussen. = I am waiting for the bus.
- Hun venter på vennen sin. = She is waiting for her friend.

You cannot drop the preposition here:

❌ Jeg venter bussen. (incorrect)
✅ Jeg venter på bussen.

So remember: “wait for” = “vente på” in this kind of sentence.

Why is it bussen (the bus) and not just buss (bus)?

In Norwegian, you usually use the definite form when you mean a specific, identified thing that both speaker and listener understand:

buss = a bus / bus (indefinite)
bussen = the bus (definite)

Here you are typically talking about the specific bus you’re going to take (the next bus on that route, the one that’s supposed to come). Therefore:

Jeg venter på bussen. = I am waiting for the bus. (a specific one)

If you said:

Jeg venter på en buss. = I am waiting for a bus. (not a particular, known bus; just any bus)

That’s less common in typical “public transport” contexts, where the next bus is understood and therefore definite.

How would I say “I have been waiting a long time for the bus”? Is Jeg venter lenge på bussen enough?

Jeg venter lenge på bussen is present tense and usually understood as I am waiting a long time for the bus (now).

If you want to emphasize that the waiting started earlier and has been going on for some time up to now (like English have been waiting), you normally use the present perfect:

Jeg har ventet lenge på bussen.
- Literally: I have waited a long time for the bus.
- Commonly used where English uses have been waiting.

So:

Jeg venter lenge på bussen.
- Focus on the situation now (I’m currently waiting, and it’s long).
Jeg har ventet lenge på bussen.
- Focus on the duration up until now (I’ve already spent a long time waiting).

Both are correct; the nuance is about aspect/time.

How would I negate this? Where does ikke go in Jeg venter lenge på bussen?

The normal negation is:

Jeg venter ikke lenge på bussen.
- I don’t wait long for the bus. / I’m not waiting long for the bus.

Ikke usually comes right after the verb in simple main clauses:

Jeg venter ikke på bussen. = I am not waiting for the bus.
Jeg venter ikke lenge på bussen. = I am not waiting a long time for the bus.

Putting ikke after lenge is not normal here:

❌ Jeg venter lenge ikke på bussen. (incorrect)

What’s the difference between lenge and for lenge?

lenge = for a long time (neutral)
- Jeg venter lenge på bussen.
  - I’m/We’re just describing that the waiting is long.
for lenge = too long (more than is acceptable)
- Jeg venter for lenge på bussen.
  - I wait too long for the bus. / The wait is excessively long.

So for in this context means too (too much/too long).

Can vente på bussen also mean “wait on the bus” (like staying inside the bus and waiting)?

No. Vente på bussen almost always means wait for the bus (you’re not on it yet).

If you want to say you wait on the bus (you are already inside it while waiting), you would normally say:

Jeg venter i bussen. = I am waiting in the bus.
Jeg sitter og venter i bussen. = I’m sitting and waiting in the bus.

So:

på bussen with vente på = for the bus
i bussen = in the bus

How do you pronounce venter, lenge, and bussen? Any silent letters to know about?

Approximate pronunciation (Standard East Norwegian, rough English cues):

venter ≈ VEN-ter
- ven like English “ven” in “vent”
- ter like “ter” in “winter”, but with a softer r
lenge ≈ LENG-eh
- len as in “length” (without the th)
- final -e is a short, neutral sound, like “uh”
bussen ≈ BUSS-en
- buss like English “bus” but with a short u and clear ss
- -en again is like a short “uhn”

No silent letters here; every written consonant is pronounced, though vowels and r vary slightly by dialect.

Could I replace lenge with something else like mye or lang tid?

Yes, but the meaning or style changes slightly:

Jeg venter lenge på bussen.
- Neutral and natural: I wait a long time for the bus.

Alternative expressions:

Jeg venter i lang tid på bussen.
- Slightly more formal/explicit: I wait for a long time for the bus.
Jeg venter mye på bussen.
- Sounds more like I wait a lot for the bus (often/very much), not specifically about each wait being long in duration.

For the idea of long duration, lenge is normally the best choice.

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral in Norwegian?

Jeg venter lenge på bussen. is neutral and can be used in almost any context, spoken or written.

It’s neither slangy nor particularly formal. You could say it:

In everyday conversation
In a simple written text or message
In narration in a story

No change in pronoun or verb form is needed for politeness; Norwegian doesn’t usually mark politeness in the verb the way some other languages do.