løve
[ˈløːvə]common gender
The Danish word for lion is løve. Wiktionary also lists løvinde.
Meaning: big cat Panthera leo (noun)
Ways to say it
| Danish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| løve | [ˈløːvə] (narrow) [ˈløːʋə] (narrow) |
common gender |
| løvinde | /løvenə/ | common gender, feminine |
The term refers to the big cat Panthera leo.
Which one should you use?
løve is the common-gender form, while løvinde is the feminine form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of 'løve' is 'løver'. To indicate possession for a singular lion, you add '-s' to the definite form, resulting in 'løvens'.
Did you know?
- The word løve descends from the Latin leō, which was likely borrowed from an ancient Near Eastern language before reaching Scandinavia.
- Danes use the phrase at være en løve to describe someone who is exceptionally brave or courageous in a difficult situation.
- In Danish, the suffix -inde used in løvinde is an archaic way to create feminine nouns, which is now rarely used for new words in the language.
Examples in context
- Jeg ser en løve.I see a lion.This sentence shows how to use løve to identify seeing a lion.Tatoeba #599526 by danepo, translation #586830 by kebukebu
- Jeg vil gerne se løven.I want to see the lion.This sentence demonstrates the use of the definite form of løve.Tatoeba #12068980 by danepo, translation #12068979 by CK
- Løven er junglens konge.The lion is the king of the jungle.This sentence uses the definite form of løve to describe the lion as the king of the jungle.Tatoeba #1143873 by danepo, translation #29846 by CM
- De små løveunger er så søde!The little lion cubs are so cute!
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mads and Mette are at the zoo.
- MadsSe, der er en løve!Look, there is a lion!
- MetteDen er virkelig stor.It is really big.
- MadsJeg elsker den løve.I love that lion.
- MetteDen ser meget stærk ud.It looks very strong.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lion” translations and entries løve, løvinde, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries løve, løvinde, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
