datter
/²dɑtːəɾ/feminine, masculine
The Norwegian word for daughter is datter. Wiktionary also lists dotter.
Meaning: female offspring (noun)
Ways to say it
| Norwegian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| datter | /²dɑtːəɾ/ | feminine, masculine |
| dotter | feminine |
The word refers to a female offspring.
Which one should you use?
datter is the standard and most common form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The indefinite singular form is datter or dotter. To express a specific daughter, the definite form is datteren. The plural indefinite is datter (or dotter in certain dialects), and the definite plural is døtre. When expressing possession, you can say min datter or datteren min.
How do you pronounce it?
/²dɑtːəɾ/
Did you know?
- The Old Norse ancestor of datter, dóttir, is still used today in Icelandic, keeping a form that is closer to the ancient roots than modern Norwegian does.
- The word datter is a cognate with the German 'Tochter' and the Dutch 'dochter', showing a shared ancestry across Northern Europe.
- The variant dotter is not just an old form but remains the standard way to write the word in the Nynorsk written standard of Norwegian.
Examples in context
- Er dottera di her?Is your daughter here?This sentence is useful for asking if a specific dotter is present.Tatoeba #12667923 by Barend, translation #1956324 by Spamster
- Tom har også en datter.Tom also has a daughter.This sentence demonstrates the use of datter to state possession.Tatoeba #9447916 by Voider, translation #5484539 by CK
- Hvordan går det med dattera di?How is your daughter?This sentence shows how to ask about the well-being of someone's datter.Tatoeba #3164300 by pergpau, translation #3163796 by CK
- Jeg elsker min datter.I love my daughter.
- Kom hit, lille datter!Come here, little daughter!
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ingrid and Kristoffer are talking about their children at a park.
- IngridHar du en datter, Kristoffer?Do you have a daughter, Kristoffer?
- KristofferJa, datteren min er her nå.Yes, my daughter is here now.
- IngridHun er veldig søt.She is very sweet.
- KristofferTakk, hun er veldig snill.Thank you, she is very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “daughter” translations and entries datter, dotter, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries datter, dotter, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
