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Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jeg gidder ikke vente. - I cannot be bothered to wait.

Hardcore Norwegian
/Changing tonight's plan with friends
/Jeg gidder ikke vente.

Jeg gidder ikke vente.

Word

Jeg gidder ikke vente.

Meaning

I cannot be bothered to wait.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Norwegian

Lesson

Changing tonight's plan with friends

Breakdown of Jeg gidder ikke vente.

to be bothered; feel like doing

Questions & Answers about Jeg gidder ikke vente.

What form is gidder, and what verb does it come from?

Gidder is the present tense of the verb å gidde.

A quick mini-paradigm:

å gidde — infinitive
gidder — present
gadd — past
har giddet — perfect

This verb is used when someone does or does not feel like making the effort to do something. It often has the nuance of can’t be bothered.

Why is ikke placed after gidder?

Because gidder is the finite verb in a main clause, and in Norwegian main clauses the finite verb usually comes early, with ikke after it.

So the structure is:

Jeg — subject
gidder — finite verb
ikke — negation
vente — infinitive

This is the normal pattern in a main clause:

Jeg kommer ikke
Jeg vil ikke gå
Jeg gidder ikke vente

If this were inside a subordinate clause, the position of ikke would change:

Han sier at jeg ikke gidder vente

Why is it vente, not venter?

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Because only gidder is conjugated here.
The second verb, vente, stays in the infinitive.

That is very common in Norwegian when one verb is followed by another:

Jeg vil spise
Jeg kan komme
Jeg gidder vente

So:

gidder = the verb that carries tense
vente = the action being talked about

Using venter here would be wrong:

Jeg gidder ikke venter ❌

Why is there no å before vente? Can I say Jeg gidder ikke å vente?

Yes — Jeg gidder ikke å vente is also possible.

With gidde, both patterns occur:

Jeg gidder ikke vente
Jeg gidder ikke å vente

The version without å often sounds a bit more direct and conversational.
The version with å is also very common and completely natural.

So as a learner, it is useful to recognize both.

Is gidde a modal verb?

Not one of the core modal verbs like kan, skal, vil, må, but it often behaves a bit like one.

That is why it commonly appears with another verb in the infinitive:

Jeg gidder ikke lese
Hun gidder ikke komme
Vi gidder ikke vente

So even if grammar books may not always list it together with the classic modals, it often works in a similar way in real sentences.

How is Jeg gidder ikke vente different from Jeg vil ikke vente?

They are close, but not identical.

Jeg vil ikke vente = I do not want to wait
Jeg gidder ikke vente = I can’t be bothered to wait / I don’t feel like waiting

So gidder ikke often suggests:

lack of motivation
unwillingness to make the effort
impatience or annoyance

It can sound a bit stronger or more dismissive than just vil ikke.

How is gidde different from orke in this kind of sentence?

This is a very common question, because they can overlap in English.

Jeg gidder ikke vente = I can’t be bothered to wait
Jeg orker ikke vente = I don’t have the energy/patience to wait

A simple way to remember it:

gidde = willingness / bother
orke = energy / capacity / stamina

So if someone is tired, overwhelmed, or drained, orke is often better.
If someone just does not feel like doing it, gidde is often better.

Is this sentence informal?

Yes, it is fairly everyday and informal.

It is very natural in speech and casual writing, but it can sound a bit blunt depending on context.

For example:

Jeg gidder ikke vente — casual, direct
Jeg har ikke lyst til å vente — softer, more neutral
Jeg ønsker ikke å vente — more formal or deliberate

So the original sentence is natural, but it is not especially polite or formal.

Can vente be used without på? Don’t you normally say vente på something?

Yes, vente can stand on its own.

vente = to wait
vente på = to wait for someone/something

So Jeg gidder ikke vente is fine if the object is general, obvious, or unimportant.

If you want to say what you are waiting for, you usually add på:

Jeg gidder ikke vente på bussen
Jeg gidder ikke vente på deg
Jeg gidder ikke vente på svar

How would I say this in the past tense?

You would usually say:

Jeg gadd ikke vente
Jeg gadd ikke å vente

Here gadd is the past tense of å gidde.

You can also make a perfect form:

Jeg har ikke giddet å vente
Jeg har ikke giddet vente

So the pattern stays the same; only gidde changes form.

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