Hold deg rolig mens du venter på bussen.

you

Breakdown of Hold deg rolig mens du venter på bussen.

• mens: while
• vente på: to wait for
• bussen: the bus

Questions & Answers about Hold deg rolig mens du venter på bussen.

Why does it start with Hold—is this an imperative?

Yes. Hold is the imperative form of å holde (to hold/keep). Norwegian imperatives often look like the verb stem:

• å holde → Hold! So Hold deg rolig means Keep yourself calm / Stay calm.

What is deg doing here? Why is it not du?

deg is the object form of du (like me vs I in English). In Hold deg rolig, the verb is affecting you as an object: keep (yourself) calm.
It’s also functioning reflexively here—similar to English yourself, though Norwegian uses the normal object pronoun for this in many common expressions.

Is Hold deg rolig reflexive, and do I always need deg?

It’s reflexive in meaning (you are keeping yourself calm). In this common phrase, deg is normally included:

• Hold deg rolig. = Stay calm. You can also hear Hold roen (Keep the calm) in some contexts, but it’s a different wording and feels a bit more “keep your composure.”

Why is it rolig and not ?