vakker
[¹ʋɑkːəɾ]
The English word beautiful is translated into Norwegian as vakker.
Vakker is often used for more formal or poetic descriptions of nature, art or profound beauty.
Meaning: attractive (adj)
Which one should you use?
While vakker is more profound and aesthetic, the Norwegian word pen is more commonly used for 'pretty' or 'nice-looking'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The base form vakker is used for masculine and feminine nouns. The form vakkert is used when describing neuter nouns. The form vakre is used for plural nouns or when the noun is in the definite form.
Did you know?
- In Norwegian, if you want to say someone is 'beautiful' in a way that implies they are physically hot or sexy, vakker is too formal. Instead, people use the word lekker, which literally means 'delicious'.
- The word vakker shares an ancestral root with the English word 'wake', via the Old Norse vakr, which originally meant 'awake' or 'alert'.
- Norwegian has a specific word, naturskjønn, which combines 'nature' and 'beautiful' into one single adjective to describe the innate beauty of the landscape.
Examples in context
- Du er veldig vakker.You are very beautiful.This sentence is useful for practicing the form vakker to describe a person.Tatoeba #2935421 by eirik174, translation #69112 by CK
- For eit vakkert slott!What a beautiful castle!This sentence shows the use of the neuter form vakkert.Tatoeba #12485387 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #6480254 by Micsmithel
- Boston er en vakker by.Boston is a beautiful city.This sentence demonstrates the use of the form vakker with a city.Tatoeba #2935526 by eirik174, translation #2045784 by CK
- Du ser vakker ut i den kjolen.You look beautiful in that dress.
- Hun har en nydelig stemme.She has a beautiful voice.
- Det er et nydelig sted å tilbringe ferien.It's a beautiful place to spend the vacation.
- Du er en skjønn kvinne.You are a beautiful woman.
- Hun synger med stor skjønnhet.She sings with great beauty.
- Du ser veldig pen ut i dag.You look very beautiful today.
- Han har en pen hund.He has a beautiful dog.
- Du har en fin bil.You have a beautiful car.
- Bildet ditt er veldig fint.Your picture is very beautiful.
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kristoffer and Nora are standing on a balcony overlooking a valley.
- KristofferUtsikten her er virkelig vakker.The view here is truly beautiful.
- NoraJa, naturen er fantastisk.Yes, the nature is fantastic.
- KristofferDu ser også vakker ut i dag.You look beautiful today too.
- NoraTakk, det var hyggelig sagt.Thank you, that was kind of you to say.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beautiful” translations and entries vakker, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vakker, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
