baby
masculine
The English word 'baby' is translated into Norwegian as baby or spedbarn.
Meaning: very young human being (noun)
Ways to say it
| Norwegian | Note |
|---|---|
| baby | masculine |
| spedbarn | neuter |
Both terms refer to a very young human being.
Which one should you use?
baby is the common everyday word used in most situations, whereas spedbarn is a more formal or clinical term used to refer to an infant.
How does it change in a sentence?
baby is a masculine noun. To say 'the baby', add the definite suffix -en to get babyen. To indicate possession for 'the baby', add the suffix -ens to get babyens. The plural form of 'baby' is babyer. Note that spedbarn is a neuter noun.
Did you know?
- The word spedbarn contains the root sped, which is an archaic term meaning 'weak' or 'frail'.
- Norwegian distinguishes between spedbarn, which is strictly an infant, and småbarn, which refers to toddlers.
- In many Norwegian dialects, the plural babyer is pronounced with a very soft 'y' sound that can be difficult for English speakers to distinguish from 'i'.
Examples in context
- Babyen smilte til meg.The baby smiled at me.This sentence shows how to use the form baby in a simple sentence.Tatoeba #12656809 by Barend, translation #272361 by CK
- Babyen sover i vuggen.The baby is sleeping in the cradle.This sentence demonstrates the use of the form baby in a different context.Tatoeba #14048316 by Mayk, translation #272415 by CK
- Han sover som et spedbarn.He's sleeping like a baby.This sentence shows how to use the form spedbarn in a comparison.Tatoeba #2881980 by eirik174, translation #2089 by CK
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Kristoffer are visiting a friend's house.
- EmmaEr den lille babyen din?Is that little baby yours?
- KristofferJa, han er en søt baby.Yes, he is a cute baby.
- EmmaHan har veldig store øyne.He has very big eyes.
- KristofferTakk, han er veldig snill.Thanks, he is very sweet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “baby” translations and entries baby, spedbarn, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries baby, spedbarn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
