Questions & Answers about Vi väntar länge på bussen.
Why do we say väntar på bussen and not just väntar bussen?
In Swedish, the normal way to say wait for something/someone is vänta på + object.
- vänta på bussen = wait for the bus
- vänta på dig = wait for you
- vänta på maten = wait for the food
So på is required here; you cannot say *vänta bussen in everyday modern Swedish when you mean wait for the bus.
Without a preposition, vänta is usually used without a direct object:
- Vänta lite! = Wait a little!
- Jag kan vänta. = I can wait.
There is an older/more formal use where vänta can mean expect:
Jag väntar besök. = I am expecting visitors.
But for a bus, the normal expression is vänta på bussen.
Why is it bussen (the bus) and not en buss (a bus) or just buss?