Jeg teller til ti mens jeg venter på bussen.

I count to ten while I wait for the bus.

Breakdown of Jeg teller til ti mens jeg venter på bussen.

• jeg: I
• til: to
• mens: while
• vente på: to wait for
• bussen: the bus
• ti: ten
• telle: to count

Questions & Answers about Jeg teller til ti mens jeg venter på bussen.

Why is teller in the present tense here, not something like “I am counting”?

Norwegian usually uses the simple present (teller) for both habitual actions and actions happening right now. So Jeg teller til ti can mean “I count to ten” or “I’m counting to ten,” depending on context. If you really want to stress “right now,” you can add something like nå (“now”): Jeg teller til ti nå.

What does teller til ti literally mean, and why is til used?

Literally it’s “I count to ten.” Norwegian commonly uses telle til + number to express counting up to a number:

• telle til ti = count to ten
• telle til hundre = count to one hundred
  Til here means “up to / as far as.”

Why is ti not written as a numeral (10)?

Both are possible, but writing small numbers as words is common in running text: ti. In casual notes, instructions, or when emphasizing the number, you might also see 10. The sentence works either way: Jeg teller til 10… is fine.

Why does it say mens jeg venter… and not mens venter jeg…?

Because mens introduces a subordinate clause. In Norwegian subordinate clauses, the word order is typically: subordinator + subject + verb So you get: mens jeg venter (“while I wait”).
In main clauses you can have verb-second word order, but after mens, you don’t.

Is mens the only way to say “while” here? How is it different from når?

Mens is “while” in the sense of two actions happening at the same time. That’s exactly what’s going on here (counting during the waiting).
Når often means “when” (either a repeated situation or a future one depending on context). You can sometimes translate English “while” with når, but mens is the natural choice for “during the time that.”

Why is it venter på bussen—why på?

In Norwegian the verb å vente commonly takes på for “wait for”:

• vente på bussen = wait for the bus
• vente på deg = wait for you
  So på is just the standard preposition used with vente in this meaning.

What is the difference between bussen and en buss?

Bussen is the definite form: “the bus.”
En buss is indefinite: “a bus.”
Since you’re typically waiting for a specific bus (the one you intend to take), på bussen in the sentence is på bussen = “for the bus.”

Does på bussen ever mean “on the bus”? How do I avoid confusion?

Yes—på bussen can also mean “on the bus,” because på is used for being on a vehicle in Norwegian (e.g., på toget, på bussen).
Context usually makes it clear:

• Jeg venter på bussen = “I’m waiting for the bus” (because of venter)
• Jeg sitter på bussen = “I’m sitting on the bus” (clearly location)
  If you need to be extra explicit about waiting at the bus stop, you can say Jeg venter på bussen ved holdeplassen (“…by the stop”).

Why is the sentence order Jeg teller … mens jeg venter … and not the other way around? What happens if I start with mens?

Both orders are possible. If you start with the mens-clause, Norwegian requires inversion (verb-second in the main clause):

• Jeg teller til ti mens jeg venter på bussen. (main clause first)
• Mens jeg venter på bussen, teller jeg til ti. (subordinate clause first → teller jeg, not jeg teller)

How would you pronounce the tricky parts like teller, mens, and bussen?

A rough guide (exact pronunciation varies by dialect):

• teller: the double ll is a “clear” L sound in many dialects; stress on the first syllable: TEL-ler
• mens: like “mens” with a short e (similar to the vowel in “pen” for many speakers)
• bussen: stress on the first syllable: BUS-sen, with a short u sound (not like English “you”)