hvorfor
The Norwegian word for "why" is hvorfor. Wiktionary also lists korfor and kvifor.
Meaning: (interrogative) for what reason (adv)
Ways to say it
| Norwegian |
|---|
| hvorfor |
| korfor |
| kvifor |
hvorfor is used as an interrogative to ask for a reason. It can also serve as an exclamation of surprise. While hvorfor asks for a reason, the related word derfor means "therefore" or "that is why".
Which one should you use?
hvorfor is used to ask for a reason, whereas derfor means 'therefore' or 'that is why'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
hvorfor is the standard form used in Bokmål, the most common written standard of Norwegian. kvifor is the standard form used in Nynorsk, one of the two official written standards of Norwegian. korfor is a dialectal variation of hvorfor.
Related words
Did you know?
- The standard Bokmål word hvorfor is actually a linguistic sibling to the archaic English word 'wherefore'.
- The Bokmål form hvorfor was heavily influenced by the Danish language during the union between Denmark and Norway.
- In many Norwegian dialects, the way you ask 'why' can signal exactly which region of the country you are from, even if the meaning remains the same.
Examples in context
- Kvifor er ho der?Why is it there?This sentence uses kvifor.Tatoeba #12634476 by Barend, translation #2648877 by CK
- Kvifor er eg her?Why am I here?Tatoeba #13356295 by Barend, translation #1886542 by CK
- Hvorfor kom du her?Why did you come here?This sentence uses hvorfor.Tatoeba #2883626 by eirik174, translation #392144 by CK
- Hvorfor skjedde det?Why did it happen?
- Jeg lurer på hvorfor det skjedde?I wonder why it happened?
- Hvorfor er du trist?Why are you sad?
- Kan du fortelle meg hvorfor du sa det?Can you tell me why you said that?
- Hvorfor skal vi gjøre det på den måten?Why should we do it that way?
- 337 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Kristoffer are talking in a kitchen.
- EmmaHvorfor er du så sint?Why are you so angry?
- KristofferJeg er bare veldig trøtt.I am just very tired.
- EmmaHvorfor sov du ikke i går?Why did you not sleep yesterday?
- KristofferDet var for mye støy.There was too much noise.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “why” translations and entries hvorfor, korfor, kvifor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hvorfor, korfor, kvifor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
