verdenshav
neuter
The English word ocean can be translated into Norwegian as verdenshav. Wiktionary also lists osean and verdshav.
Meaning: one of the large bodies of water (noun)
Ways to say it
| Norwegian | Note |
|---|---|
| verdenshav | neuter |
| osean | neuter |
| verdshav | neuter |
The term is used to refer to one of the large bodies of water.
What does it mean word for word?
The word verdenshav is a compound consisting of verdens, meaning world's and hav, meaning sea or ocean.
Which one should you use?
While verdenshav is the default form, you may also see osean or the contracted form verdshav. All three are neuter nouns.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express 'the ocean' in the definite form, you add the suffix -et to the word, resulting in verdenshavet. The word hav can also be used on its own to mean ocean.
Did you know?
- The word osean is quite formal and is rarely used in everyday conversation compared to the much more common hav.
- In Norwegian, the word hav is the root for the word havn, meaning 'harbor' or 'port'.
- The word verden in verdenshav shares a root with the English word 'world', but also relates to the concept of 'turning' or 'winding'.
Examples in context
- Jeg elsker å se solnedgangen over havet.I love watching the sunset over the ocean.
- La oss dra til sjøen for å bade.Let's go to the ocean to swim.
- Hurtigruten seiler gjennom storhavet.Hurtigruten sails through the open sea.
- Vi må beskytte verdenshavet.We must protect the ocean.
Example conversation
Magnus and Emma are studying a map of the world.
- MagnusSe på dette store verdenshav.Look at this large ocean.
- EmmaJa, det dekker så mye land.Yes, it covers so much land.
- MagnusEr det kaldt der?Is it cold there?
- EmmaJa, det er et iskaldt verdenshav.Yes, it is an ice-cold ocean.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ocean” translations and entries verdenshav, osean, verdshav, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
