Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Snøen hindrer bussen.

å hindre means to hinder, obstruct, prevent. It suggests something is making it difficult or impossible for something to happen or move freely.

Snøen hindrer bussen.
→ The snow is hindering/obstructing/preventing the bus.

Nuances compared with other verbs:

å stoppe = to stop
Often more direct, like bringing something to a halt.
- Snøen stopper bussen. → The snow stops the bus (it can’t move at all).
å forhindrer = to prevent, to stop from happening
Often more abstract or formal, about preventing an event or action.
- Snøen forhindrer bussen i å kjøre. → The snow prevents the bus from driving.

Hindre is a good general verb for physical obstruction or practical prevention.

What tense is hindrer, and what is the infinitive?

hindrer is the present tense form of the verb å hindre (to hinder).

Infinitive: å hindre (to hinder)
Present: hindrer (hinder(s), is hindering)
Past: hindret (hindered)
Present perfect: har hindret (has hindered)

Norwegian present tense can correspond to both English simple present and present continuous:

Snøen hindrer bussen.
= The snow hinders the bus.
or
= The snow is hindering the bus.

Why is it bussen and not buss?

Just like with snø/snøen, buss also takes a definite ending:

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

In Snøen hindrer bussen, we are talking about a specific bus (for example, the bus on this route, the bus we’re waiting for), so Norwegian uses the definite form bussen.

What is the basic word order in Snøen hindrer bussen?

The sentence uses regular Norwegian main-clause word order:

Subject – Verb – Object (SVO)

So:

Snøen = subject (the snow)
hindrer = verb (hinders)
bussen = object (the bus)

This is the neutral word order for statements in Norwegian, similar to English.

How would you turn this sentence into a yes/no question?

For a yes/no question in Norwegian, you put the verb first and then the subject:

Hindrer snøen bussen?
= Is the snow hindering the bus? / Does the snow hinder the bus?

Notice there is no “do” (no equivalent of Does or Is added). You just invert verb + subject.

Could you also say this in a passive form, like “The bus is hindered by the snow”?

Yes, you can express this idea in Norwegian passive, though it’s less common in everyday speech here than in English:

S-passive:
- Bussen hindres av snøen.
  = The bus is hindered by the snow.
Bli-passive (more dynamic, “gets”):
- Bussen blir hindret av snøen.
  = The bus is getting hindered / is being hindered by the snow.

The original Snøen hindrer bussen is simpler and more natural in many everyday contexts.

How do you pronounce Snøen hindrer bussen?

Approximate pronunciation (Standard Eastern Norwegian):

Snøen → [SNØH-ən]
- ø: like German ö, or the vowel in British “bird” but with rounded lips.
- The -en is a weak “uhn” sound.
hindrer → [HIND-rer]
- i: like ee in see, but often a bit shorter.
- Final -er: often like a weak “ər”.
bussen → [BUSS-ən]
- u: a front rounded vowel [ʉ], somewhat between English “ee” and “oo” with rounded lips.
- Double ss: a longer / stronger s sound.
- -en again is a weak “uhn”.

Spoken smoothly: something like “SNØH-ən HIND-rer BUSS-ən”.

In English we usually say “is hindering” here. Why isn’t there a separate continuous tense in Norwegian?

Norwegian generally does not have a special continuous tense like is hindering / are stopping. The simple present covers both:

Snøen hindrer bussen.
→ The snow hinders the bus.
→ The snow is hindering the bus.

Context tells you whether it’s a general fact or something happening right now. If you really want to stress the ongoing nature, you can add an adverb or phrase:

Akkurat nå hindrer snøen bussen.
= Right now the snow is hindering the bus.

Can I drop the definiteness and say Snø hindrer buss?

You can say Snø hindrer buss, but it sounds different:

Snøen hindrer bussen.
→ The specific snow (e.g., today’s snowfall) is hindering the specific bus.
Snø hindrer buss.
→ Snow (in general) hinders buses (in general).
This sounds like a general statement about how the world works, not about a particular situation.

So for a concrete, current situation, Norwegians normally use the definite forms: Snøen hindrer bussen.

Could I add a demonstrative like den and say Den snøen hindrer bussen?

Yes, but it changes the nuance:

Snøen hindrer bussen.
→ The snow is hindering the bus. (neutral “the”)
Den snøen hindrer bussen.
→ That snow is hindering the bus. (emphasizing a particular snow, maybe that pile over there or this recent snowfall)

In Norwegian, combining den (that/the) with the definite form (snøen) gives a more pointed, specific or contrastive meaning, often translated as that in English.