sønn
/sœn/masculine
The Norwegian word for "son" is sønn. Wiktionary also lists son.
Meaning: a male person in relation to his parents (noun)
Ways to say it
| Norwegian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sønn | /sœn/ | masculine |
| son | [so̞ːn] (narrow) | masculine |
The word refers to a male person in relation to his parents.
Which one should you use?
sønn is the standard spelling used in Bokmål, which is the most common written standard of Norwegian.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Bokmål, the definite form "the son" is created by adding the suffix -en to sønn, resulting in sønnen. The plural form of sønn in Bokmål is sønner. In Nynorsk, the definite form "the son" is created by adding the suffix -en to son, resulting in sonen.
How do you pronounce it?
/sœn/
Did you know?
- In old Norwegian tradition, the first-born sønn often inherited the family farm, a practice known as odelsrett that still influences property law today.
- The Norwegian word sønn shares a common ancestor with the English word 'son', as both descend from the Proto-Germanic word *sunuz.
- In many Norwegian family trees, you might see the term sønnesønn to mean 'grandson', which literally translates to 'son's son'.
Examples in context
- Tom er vår sønn.Tom is our son.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as a son using sønn.Tatoeba #2877361 by eirik174, translation #2273342 by CK
- Kven skada son din?Who hurt your son?This sentence is useful for asking a question about a son using son.Tatoeba #12625001 by Barend, translation #11157014 by LanguageExpert
- Har du sett son min?Have you seen my son?This sentence is useful for asking about the whereabouts of a son using son.Tatoeba #8211259 by vikvaering, translation #2149117 by Hybrid
- Han er min sønn.He is my son.
- Min sønn er veldig intelligent.My son is very intelligent.
- Min sønn er en flott gutt.My son is a great boy.
- Min sønn vil bli lege når han blir eldre.My son wants to become a doctor when he grows up.
- Gutten min elsker å lese bøker.My son loves reading books.
- 46 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Kristoffer are talking about their family.
- EmmaEr dette din sønn?Is this your son?
- KristofferJa, han heter Leo.Yes, his name is Leo.
- EmmaHan er veldig søt!He is very cute!
- KristofferTakk, han er en flink sønn.Thanks, he is a good son.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “son” translations and entries sønn, son, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sønn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
