Vi venter på svar om barnehageplassen.

We are waiting for an answer about the daycare place.

Breakdown of Vi venter på svar om barnehageplassen.

• vi: we
• om: about
• vente på: to wait for
• svaret: the answer
• barnehageplassen: the daycare place

Questions & Answers about Vi venter på svar om barnehageplassen.

Why does Norwegian use vi and not jeg here—does vi always mean we?

Vi is the subject pronoun meaning we. It’s used when the speaker includes at least one other person (e.g., a partner, family, or household) in the action: Vi venter … = We are waiting …
Norwegian also has jeg (I) if it’s only the speaker: Jeg venter på svar …
(And man can mean an impersonal one/people in some contexts, but not here.)

Why is the verb venter in this form—where is the “are” from “we are waiting”?

In Norwegian, the present tense verb often covers what English expresses as am/is/are + -ing.
So Vi venter literally is We wait, but it commonly means We are waiting depending on context. Norwegian doesn’t need an auxiliary like are here.

Why does vente take på—can I say Vi venter svar without på?

The most normal pattern is å vente på + noun: vente på svar = wait for an answer.
Dropping på is usually not idiomatic in everyday Norwegian in this meaning.
You can sometimes see related structures, e.g. å vente med noe (wait with / postpone something) or å vente (på at) … (wait (for) that … happens), but for an answer, vente på svar is the standard.

What does svar mean exactly—an answer or the answer?

Svar means answer/response. In venter på svar, it’s a common “mass noun” style in Norwegian, similar to English waiting for an answer / waiting for a response.
If you want to be more specific, you can add an article or determiner:

• et svar = an answer (one specific answer)
• svaret = the answer (a particular known answer)
  But vente på svar is very natural when you just mean you haven’t heard back yet.

Why is it om barnehageplassen—what does om mean here?

Here om means about/regarding/concerning. So svar om barnehageplassen = an answer regarding the daycare place/slot.
Norwegian often uses svar på when you mean an answer to a question (like a reply to a specific question), and svar om when you mean an answer about a topic/case.

What is barnehageplassen—and why is it one long word?

Norwegian commonly forms compounds. barnehageplassen breaks down as:

• barnehage = kindergarten/daycare (nursery)
• plass = place/spot/slot
• -en = the (definite ending) So barnehageplassen means the daycare spot/slot (the kindergarten place). Writing it as one compound word is normal in Norwegian.

Why does plass become plassen here—what is that -en ending?

Norwegian often marks the by adding a definite ending to the noun:

• en plass = a place/spot (indefinite, masculine)
• plassen = the place/spot (definite)
  In compounds, the final noun usually carries the definite ending: barnehageplass → barnehageplassen = the daycare spot.

Is barnehage always “kindergarten”? I thought Norwegian barnehage can mean daycare.

Correct—barnehage usually refers to preschool childcare/daycare (often ages 1–5). In English, people translate it as daycare, nursery, or kindergarten depending on the context and region. In this sentence, it’s about a childcare placement, so daycare spot is often the best interpretation.

Why is the order på svar om barnehageplassen and not om barnehageplassen på svar?

The phrase på svar is required by the verb: vente på svar. Then om barnehageplassen modifies svar (what kind of answer). So the natural structure is:

• vente på [svar om X]
  Putting om X before på svar would split up the verb + preposition pattern and sounds unnatural.

Could I also say Vi venter på svar om barnehageplass without the -en?

Yes, but it changes nuance.

• barnehageplass (indefinite) = a daycare spot / daycare placement (in general)
• barnehageplassen (definite) = the daycare spot/placement (a particular one you’ve applied for or been offered)
  In real use, people often use the definite form when referring to a specific application/spot.

Is there a difference between venter på svar and venter på et svar?

Yes, mainly stylistic/nuance:

• venter på svar sounds natural and general: waiting to hear back.
• venter på et svar emphasizes one answer as a countable item, and can sound a bit more pointed: waiting for an answer (from you/them).
  Both are grammatical; venter på svar is especially common in administrative contexts.

How would I turn this into a question in Norwegian?

A common question form keeps the verb first:

• Venter dere på svar om barnehageplassen? = Are you (plural) waiting for an answer about the daycare spot?
  Or with vi:
• Venter vi på svar om barnehageplassen? = Are we waiting for an answer about the daycare spot? (often rhetorical/confirming)

Can vi venter mean “we expect” instead of “we are waiting”?

Usually å vente means to wait, but in some contexts it can overlap with expect (especially if the focus is on “awaiting” something), e.g. Vi venter på at han kommer = We’re waiting for him to come.
For expect in the sense of believing something will happen, Norwegian more often uses å forvente or å regne med. Here, Vi venter på svar … is very clearly waiting (to hear back).

Are there any pronunciation pitfalls in this sentence?

A few common ones for English speakers:

• vi: usually like vee
• venter: stress on the first syllable VEN-, and the -er ending is typically a reduced vowel sound (varies by dialect)
• på: the å is like a rounded “aw” sound
• svar: starts with sv- (don’t insert a vowel before it)
• barnehageplassen: it’s one word; keep the main stress early in the compound (often BAR-), with secondary stress later depending on dialect.