kjæreste
masculine
In Norwegian, the term for boyfriend is kjæreste. Wiktionary also lists kjærast and kjæraste.
Meaning: male partner in a romantic relationship (noun)
Ways to say it
| Norwegian | Note |
|---|---|
| kjæreste | masculine |
| kjærast | masculine |
| kjæraste | masculine |
The standard way to refer to a romantic partner in Norwegian is kjæreste. Unlike English, which distinguishes between 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend', kjæreste is a gender-neutral term used for any romantic partner.
Which one should you use?
While kjæreste is the standard gender-neutral form, the forms kjærast and kjæraste also exist.
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify 'the boyfriend' or 'the girlfriend', you use the definite form kjæresten by adding the suffix '-en' to the base kjærest. When expressing possession, such as 'my boyfriend', it is more natural in Norwegian to place the possessive pronoun after the noun, as in kjæresten min, rather than using min kjæreste.
Did you know?
- The word kjæreste is the superlative form of the adjective kjær, meaning 'dear'. Literally, calling someone your kjæreste is like calling them your 'dearest'.
- In Norway, it is common to introduce a kjæreste to parents as a serious partner, whereas in English, 'boyfriend' can sometimes imply a less permanent stage of a relationship.
- The word kjær is also the root for kjærlighet, which means 'love'. Therefore, the word for boyfriend is linguistically built from the very concept of love.
Examples in context
- Eg er kjærasten din.I'm your boyfriend.This sentence is useful for stating that you are someone's kjærast.Tatoeba #12492659 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #2248321 by CK
- Er Tom kjærasten din?Is Tom your boyfriend?This sentence is useful for asking if a specific person is someone's kjærast.Tatoeba #12492656 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #1886871 by CK
- Kven er kjærasten din?Who's your boyfriend?This sentence is useful for asking who someone's kjærast is.Tatoeba #12492658 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #2240400 by Hybrid
- Har du truffet kjæresten min?Have you met my boyfriend?
- Dette er mannen min.This is my boyfriend.
- Han er kjæresten min.He is my boyfriend.
- Jeg skal møte typen min senere.I'm going to meet my boyfriend later.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nora is introducing someone to Andreas.
- AndreasHvem er han?Who is he?
- NoraDette er min kjæreste.This is my boyfriend.
- AndreasHyggelig å møte deg!Nice to meet you!
- NoraHan er veldig snill.He is very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boyfriend” translations and entries kjæreste, kjærast, kjæraste, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kjæreste, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
