tante
feminine, masculine
The Norwegian word for aunt is tante. Wiktionary also lists faster and moster.
Meaning: a parent's sister or sister-in-law (noun)
Ways to say it
| Norwegian | Note |
|---|---|
| tante | feminine, masculine |
| faster | feminine, masculine |
| moster | feminine, masculine |
| morsøster | archaic, feminine, masculine |
The term refers to a parent's sister or sister-in-law.
Which one should you use?
While tante is the general and most common term, morsøster is a more precise and formal way to specify that the person is the mother's sister. In certain parts of Western and Southern Norway, you may also encounter moster.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Moster is typically used in Western Norway and parts of Southern Norway.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word tante can be modified to indicate specific grammatical forms. To say 'the aunt', add the suffix '-n' to get tanten. To express the plural 'aunts', use tanter.
Did you know?
- The general word tante entered Norwegian via German and French, but it traces its oldest roots back to the Latin word amita.
- Unlike English, which uses one word for all aunts, Norwegian distinguishes between your father's sister, faster, and your mother's sister, moster.
Examples in context
- Hva gjør din tante?What does your aunt do?This sentence is useful for asking about a person's occupation using tante.Tatoeba #2895382 by eirik174, translation #17411 by CK
- Min tante levde et lykkelig liv.My aunt lived a happy life.This sentence is useful for describing a relative's life using tante.Tatoeba #2943572 by eirik174, translation #266658 by CK
- Tanten min ga meg dette albumet.My aunt gave me this album.This sentence is useful for showing how to use the definite form tanten (expressed as 'Tanten min') to refer to a specific aunt.Tatoeba #10944038 by Mayk, translation #10859060 by CK
- Jeg er glad i min tanteI love my aunt
- Jeg skal besøke moster i helgenI'm going to visit my aunt this weekend
- Dette er min tanteThis is my aunt
- Min tanteMy aunt
- Vår tanteOur aunt
- Denne tanta er min farbrors koneThis aunt is my uncle's wife
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Kristoffer are looking at family photos.
- EmmaHvem er kvinnen på dette bildet?Who is the woman in this picture?
- KristofferDet er min tante fra Oslo.That is my aunt from Oslo.
- EmmaEr din tante veldig snill?Is your aunt very kind?
- KristofferJa, hun er veldig hyggelig.Yes, she is very pleasant.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aunt” translations and entries tante, faster, moster, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries faster, moster, tante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
