savne
In Norwegian, the verb 'miss' can be expressed as savne or sakna.
Meaning: to feel the absence of someone or something, to feel the want or need of (verb)
Ways to say it
| Norwegian | IPA |
|---|---|
| savne | |
| sakna | /²sakna/ |
The verbs are used to express feeling the absence of someone or something, or to feel the want or need of something.
Which one should you use?
The choice between these forms depends on the written standard or dialect you are using. savne is the standard form used in Bokmål, while sakna is the standard form used in Nynorsk and is also common in certain dialects.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms change depending on the tense. For the Bokmål standard savne, the present tense is savner and the past participle/perfect tense is savnet. For the Nynorsk standard sakna, the present tense is saknar and the past tense is sakna.
Did you know?
- If you want to say you 'miss' a target or a bus, you would not use savne or sakna, as these are strictly for emotional or physical absence.
- The word sakna shares the same ancient roots as the English word 'seek', relating to the idea of looking for or lacking something that was once present.
- Because savne is standard in Bokmål, using it will make your written Norwegian appear more 'urban' or 'official' to many readers, whereas sakna feels more rural or traditional.
Examples in context
- Eg saknar deg, pappa.I miss you, Dad.This sentence shows how to use sakna.Tatoeba #13026625 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #13024707 by LdjuherTaqvaylit
- Savner du vennene dine?Do you miss your friends?This sentence shows how to use savne.Tatoeba #4347313 by Meggie, translation #2514116 by Hybrid
- Eg saknar det verkeleg.I really miss it.Tatoeba #12474236 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #3374180 by CK
- Hei, frøken Andersen, kan du hjelpe meg med dette?Hello, Miss Andersen, can you help me with this?
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kristoffer and Nora are talking on the phone while traveling.
- KristofferSavner du meg, Nora?Do you miss me, Nora?
- NoraJa, jeg savner deg veldig.Yes, I miss you very much.
- KristofferJeg savner deg også.I miss you too.
- NoraKom hjem snart!Come home soon!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “miss” translations and entries savne, sakna, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sakna, savne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
