sove
/²soːvə/
To sleep in Norwegian is sove. Wiktionary also lists sova.
Meaning: to rest in state of reduced consciousness (verb)
Ways to say it
| Norwegian | IPA |
|---|---|
| sove | /²soːvə/ |
| sova | /²so(ː)va/ |
The verb refers to the act of resting in a state of reduced consciousness. While sove is the verb, the related noun for the state of sleep is søvn.
Which one should you use?
sove is the verb meaning 'to sleep', whereas søvn is the noun meaning 'sleep'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
sova is a form of the verb used in Nynorsk or certain Norwegian dialects, whereas sove is the standard Bokmål form.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The present tense is sover (sleeps or is sleeping). The past tense is sov (slept), and the past participle is sovet (slept), which is used with auxiliary verbs like har (has).
How do you pronounce it?
/²soːvə/
Did you know?
- Norwegian speakers often use the phrase å sove som en stein (to sleep like a stone) instead of 'sleeping like a log'.
- Norwegians use the verb sove in the expression sove i timen to describe someone who has missed a golden opportunity due to lack of attention.
- Despite looking identical to the English word 'sofa', the Norwegian verb sove is entirely unrelated to the piece of furniture.
Examples in context
- Kor skal eg sova?Where am I going to sleep?This sentence shows how to use sova to ask about a location for sleeping.Tatoeba #12476186 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #3177850 by CK
- Jeg får ikke sove.I can't sleep.This sentence uses sove to express an inability to sleep.Tatoeba #5823070 by jonernm, translation #1189413 by Vortarulo
- Du sover virkelig mye!You really sleep a lot!This sentence uses sove to describe someone sleeping a lot.Tatoeba #525458 by aslakg, translation #525349 by thorin
- Jeg skal sove nåI am going to sleep now.
- Jeg trenger å hvileI need to sleep/rest.
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Andreas and Nora are in their bedroom at night.
- AndreasEr du klar for å sove?Are you ready to sleep?
- NoraJa, jeg er veldig trøtt.Yes, I am very tired.
- AndreasGod natt, Nora.Good night, Nora.
- NoraGod natt, kjære Andreas.Good night, dear Andreas.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sleep” translations and entries sove, sova, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sova, sove, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
