søt
The Norwegian word for cute is søt.
søt is used to describe someone or something that is attractive or pleasing in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way. Depending on the context, it can also translate to the English word 'sweet'.
Meaning: attractive or pleasing in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way (adj)
Which one should you use?
In English, speakers often distinguish between 'cute' (appearance) and 'sweet' (personality or taste), but in Norwegian, søt is used for both.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word changes based on the noun it describes: use søtt when describing a neuter noun (et), use søte when the noun is plural or is in its definite form.
Did you know?
- In Norway, calling a romantic partner søt is very common, but if said to a stranger, it can sometimes be interpreted as condescending or treating them like a child.
- In some contexts, søt can be used ironically to describe someone who is being naive or overly optimistic about a situation.
- The word søt is a direct cognate of the English word 'sweet', meaning they share a common ancestor from the Proto-Germanic root *swōtuz.
Examples in context
- Tom er so søt!Tom's so cute!This sentence shows how to use søt to describe a person.Tatoeba #12527877 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #12527688 by rul
- Jeg vet at hun er søt.I know that she is cute.This sentence demonstrates the use of søt when describing a person.Tatoeba #14048207 by Mayk, translation #261003 by CK
- Kvifor er ikorn så søte?Why are squirrels so cute?This sentence uses the plural form søte to describe squirrels.Tatoeba #8611202 by vikvaering, translation #3307307 by Hybrid
- Hun er søtShe is cute
- Den lille katten er så nusseligThe little cat is so cute
- en søt babyA cute baby
- et søtt barnA cute child
- Han er veldig søtHe is very cute
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nora and Kristoffer are looking at a photo of a puppy.
- NoraSe på den lille hunden, den er så søt!Look at that little dog, it is so cute!
- KristofferJa, den er kjempesøt.Yes, it is super cute.
- NoraVil du ha en slik hund, Kristoffer?Do you want a dog like that, Kristoffer?
- KristofferJa, jeg vil gjerne ha en søt valp.Yes, I would love to have a cute puppy.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries søt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
