Jeg vet ikke om bussen kommer i morgen.

I don’t know if the bus is coming tomorrow.

Breakdown of Jeg vet ikke om bussen kommer i morgen.

• jeg: I
• komme: to come
• i morgen: tomorrow
• ikke: not
• bussen: the bus
• vite: to know
• om: if/whether

Questions & Answers about Jeg vet ikke om bussen kommer i morgen.

Why does Norwegian use om here—does it mean about or whether/if?

In this sentence om means whether/if (introducing an indirect yes/no question): Jeg vet ikke om ... = I don’t know whether/if ...
Norwegian om can also mean about in other contexts (e.g., snakke om = talk about), but after verbs like vite, spørre, lure, it often means whether/if.

Why is the word order bussen kommer and not kommer bussen?

Because om starts a subordinate clause (an embedded question). In Norwegian subordinate clauses, the verb normally stays after the subject:

• Main clause question: Kommer bussen i morgen? (verb first)
• Embedded question: ... om bussen kommer i morgen. (subject before verb)

Why is ikke placed after vet: Jeg vet ikke?

In a main clause, Norwegian typically places ikke after the finite verb:
Jeg vet ikke. (verb vet + ikke)
If you negate something inside the subordinate clause, ikke would appear before the verb there:
... om bussen ikke kommer i morgen. = ... whether the bus doesn’t come tomorrow.

Why is kommer in the present tense even though it’s about the future (i morgen)?

Norwegian commonly uses the present tense for planned or expected future events when a time expression makes it clear:
Bussen kommer i morgen. = The bus comes/is coming tomorrow.
You can also use skal or vil in some cases, but present tense is very normal here.

What does bussen mean exactly, and why is it not en buss?

bussen is the definite form: the bus.

• en buss = a bus (indefinite)
• bussen = the bus (definite)
  Using bussen suggests a specific bus (e.g., the usual one, or a particular route/arrival).

Could I say Jeg vet ikke hvis bussen kommer i morgen?

No—hvis means if in a conditional sense (if X happens, then Y).
Here you need om because it’s an embedded yes/no question (whether/if):

• Correct: Jeg vet ikke om bussen kommer i morgen.
• Conditional example: Hvis bussen kommer i morgen, blir jeg glad. = If the bus comes tomorrow, I’ll be happy.

Can I add eller ikke (“or not”), and where would it go?

Yes. A common option is:
Jeg vet ikke om bussen kommer i morgen eller ikke.
This makes the “whether or not” meaning explicit. It typically goes at the end of the subordinate clause.

Could I move i morgen earlier in the sentence?

Yes, Norwegian is flexible with adverbials, especially time expressions. These are all possible:

• ... om bussen kommer i morgen. (neutral)
• ... om bussen kommer i morgen. vs ... om bussen i morgen kommer. (the second is more marked/formal)
  Most learners should stick with the common, natural version: bussen kommer i morgen.

Is kommer the best verb for “the bus comes”? What about går?

Both exist, but they’re used differently:

• kommer focuses on arriving/coming (often to a place): Bussen kommer i morgen.
• går is very common for scheduled departures/services: Bussen går i morgen. (The bus runs/leaves tomorrow.)
  Which one is best depends on whether you mean “arrives” vs “runs/departs.”

How would this change if I wanted to say “I don’t know when the bus comes tomorrow”?

Then you’d use a wh-word clause (and still keep subordinate word order):
Jeg vet ikke når bussen kommer i morgen. = I don’t know when the bus comes tomorrow.

How is this sentence pronounced (roughly), especially jeg and ikke?

A rough, learner-friendly approximation (varies by dialect):

• Jeg often sounds like yai or jæi (and in fast speech can be reduced).
• ikke is often IK-keh (sometimes reduced to something like ikke/ikk’).
  Overall rhythm: Jeg VET ikke om BUS-sen KOM-mer i MOR-gen.

Can I drop om and just say Jeg vet ikke bussen kommer i morgen?

No. Norwegian needs a linker for this kind of embedded yes/no clause. You normally use om (or sometimes hvorvidt in more formal language). Without om, the sentence sounds ungrammatical.