Ways to say it
| Norwegian | Note |
|---|---|
| angrep | neuter |
| åtak | neuter |
Both words refer to an attempt to cause damage, injury or death. To express the action of launching an attack against someone or something, the verbal phrase å gå til angrep på is commonly used.
Which one should you use?
The choice between the two forms depends on which written standard of Norwegian you are using. angrep is the standard form used in Bokmål, while åtak is used in Nynorsk.
Is it said differently in some regions?
angrep is the standard form in Bokmål, which is the most common written standard in Norway, whereas åtak is used in the Nynorsk written standard.
How does it change in a sentence?
For the Bokmål form angrep, the plural indefinite is angrep and the definite is angrepene. For the Nynorsk form åtak, the plural indefinite is åtak and the definite is åtaka.
Did you know?
- The Nynorsk word åtak literally translates to 'on-grip' or 'on-hold', originating from the Old Norse words for 'on' and 'grip'.
- While the English 'attack' and the Norwegian angrep look similar, they are not actually linguistic relatives despite their shared meaning.
- In Norwegian, the term angrep is used not only for physical violence but also to describe a sudden onset of a medical condition, such as a heart attack.
Examples in context
- Tom prøvde å gå til åtak på oss.Tom tried to attack us.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use the form åtak in a verb phrase.Tatoeba #12527873 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #12527811 by CK
- Mobben gjekk til åtak på bygningen.The mob launched an attack on the building.This sentence shows an example of using the form åtak regarding a mob's action.
- Fienden flyktet etter vårt første angrep.The enemy ran after our first attack.This sentence demonstrates the use of the form angrep in a sentence about an enemy.Tatoeba #509427 by contour, translation #755204 by sctld
- Militæret gjennomførte et angrep på fiendens posisjon.The military launched an attack on the enemy's position.
- Fjellvandreren ble offer for et overfall fra en bjørn.The hiker was the victim of a bear attack.
- Artikkelen rettet et nådeløst anslag mot politikerens integritet.The article launched a scathing attack on the politician's integrity.
- Bokseren gikk raskt til angrep og traff motstanderen med et kraftig slag.The boxer swiftly took to attack, landing a powerful blow to his opponent.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Andreas are discussing a news report about a cyber incident.
- EmmaHørte du om det digitale angrepet i går?Did you hear about the digital attack yesterday?
- AndreasJa, det var et veldig alvorlig angrep.Yes, it was a very serious attack.
- EmmaJeg lurer på hvem som sto bak.I wonder who was behind it.
- AndreasDet er nok vanskelig å vite sikkert.It is probably difficult to know for sure.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “attack” translations and entries angrep, åtak, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries angrep, åtak, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
