Learn Hardcore Norwegian: På bussen hører jeg på en lydbok i stedet for å lese avisen. - On the bus I listen to an audiobook instead of reading the newspaper.

På bussen is the normal everyday expression for “on the bus” in the sense of when I’m traveling by bus / while I’m on the bus.
I bussen focuses more on the physical interior: inside the bus (e.g. Det er varmt i bussen – “It’s warm in the bus”).

In a sentence about what you do while travelling by bus, Norwegians strongly prefer på bussen.

Why does "bussen" end in -en? Where is the word “the”?

In Norwegian, the definite article (“the”) is usually a suffix, not a separate word:

buss = bus
buss
- -en = bussen = the bus

So på bussen literally corresponds to English “on the bus”, even though there is no separate word for “the”. This is true for most common nouns:

bok → boka / boken (the book)
avis → avisa / avisen (the newspaper)

Why is it "en lydbok" (indefinite) but "avisen" (definite)?

En lydbok:

en is the indefinite article (“a/an”).
The speaker is not talking about one specific audiobook that is already known in the conversation; it’s just “an audiobook” in general.

Avisen:

avisen is definite = “the newspaper”.
This can mean a specific newspaper (e.g. the one they normally read), or “the newspaper” as a general, habitual thing:
- Jeg pleier å lese avisen = “I usually read the newspaper.”

So the sentence contrasts some audiobook with the newspaper (that I’d normally be reading).

What does "lydbok" literally mean?

Lydbok is a compound:

lyd = sound
bok = book

So lydbok literally means “sound-book”, i.e. a book in audio form → an audiobook.

Plural forms:

lydbøker = audiobooks
to lydbøker = two audiobooks

Why is it "hører jeg på en lydbok" and not "jeg hører en lydbok"?

Norwegian distinguishes:

å høre noe = to hear something (it reaches your ears, maybe by chance)
å høre på noe = to listen to something (actively)

Here, you choose to listen to an audiobook, so you need the phrasal verb høre på:

Jeg hører på en lydbok = I’m listening to an audiobook.
Jeg hører en lydbok would sound odd and more like “I hear an audiobook (somewhere)”, not that you are deliberately listening to it.

So på here belongs to the verb høre på, not to lydbok.

Why is the word order "På bussen hører jeg ..." and not "På bussen jeg hører ..."?

Norwegian has the V2 rule: in a main clause, the finite verb (here: hører) must be in second position in the sentence.

If the sentence starts with the subject:
- Jeg hører på en lydbok på bussen.
  (Subject = 1st, verb = 2nd)
If you move an adverbial to the front (here På bussen), the verb still has to be 2nd:
- På bussen (1st element) hører (2nd element, the verb) jeg (3rd element) …

So På bussen hører jeg … is correct.
På bussen jeg hører … breaks the V2 rule and sounds ungrammatical.

What does the expression "i stedet for" mean and how does it work with "å lese"?

I stedet for means “instead of”. It is followed by either:

A noun:
- i stedet for avisen = instead of the newspaper
Or å
- infinitive (a verb in the “to do” form):
  - i stedet for å lese = instead of reading / instead of to read

In the sentence:

i stedet for å lese avisen
= instead of reading the newspaper.

So the structure is:

i stedet for + å + infinitive (lese) + object (avisen)

Can you also write "istedenfor" as one word? Is it different from "i stedet for"?

Yes, you will see both:

i stedet for (three words)
istedenfor (one word)

In modern standard writing, i stedet for is generally preferred and is the “safe” choice.
Meaning-wise, there is no difference here:

På bussen hører jeg på en lydbok istedenfor å lese avisen.
På bussen hører jeg på en lydbok i stedet for å lese avisen.

Both are understood as the same thing.

What is the role of "å" in "å lese", and why is there no "å" before "hører"?

In this sentence, å is the infinitive marker, like “to” in English:

å lese = to read / reading
å høre = to hear

You only use å with a verb in the infinitive (dictionary form).
In hører, the verb is finite (present tense “hear/listen”), so it cannot take å:

Jeg hører (I listen / I hear) – present tense, no å
å høre (to hear) – infinitive, with å

So:

Main verb in the clause: hører (present)
Dependent verb in the “instead of” phrase: å lese (infinitive)

Why does "hører" end in -r, but "lese" doesn’t?

That’s because they are in different forms:

hører = present tense form of å høre (to hear/listen)
- Jeg hører = I listen / I am listening
lese = infinitive form å lese (to read)

Most Norwegian verbs:

Infinitive: å høre, å lese, å skrive
Present tense: hører, leser, skriver

So in the sentence:

hører is the main finite verb (present tense).
lese is in the infinitive, part of å lese after i stedet for å.

If I want to say “On the bus I don’t listen to an audiobook”, where does "ikke" go?

The normal placement:

På bussen hører jeg ikke på en lydbok.
= On the bus I don’t listen to an audiobook.

Pattern in main clauses:

(Fronted element) + verb + subject + ikke + rest
På bussen + hører + jeg + ikke + på en lydbok.

If you include the whole “instead of” phrase with negation, you could say:

På bussen hører jeg ikke på en lydbok, jeg leser avisen.
On the bus I don’t listen to an audiobook, I read the newspaper.

How do you pronounce "ø" in "hører" and "å" in "på" / "å"?

Rough guide (English approximations only):

ø (in hører)
- Like the vowel in British English “bird” or “nurse”, but with rounded lips.
- Mouth position between “e” in “bed” and “u” in “fur”, but round your lips.
å (in på, å)
- Similar to the vowel in “tall” / “law” for many accents.
- A long, back vowel, lips rounded.

So:

på ≈ “paw”
å (the infinitive marker) sounds like the same vowel, but it’s usually short and unstressed.
hører ≈ “HØH-rer”, with the first vowel like a rounded English “er” in “her”.