Ways to say it
| Norwegian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| kone | /²kuːnə/ | feminine, masculine |
| hustru | feminine, masculine | |
| frue | feminine, masculine |
The primary meaning is a female partner in a marriage. While kone is primarily used for 'wife' in modern speech, it can also mean 'woman' in certain older or more formal contexts.
Which one should you use?
kone is the most common and everyday word for wife. In contrast, hustru is a more formal or traditional way to say wife. The word frue is rarely used to mean 'wife' in modern conversation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a formal term meaning 'spouse', you can use ektemake. As noted in the differences, hustru provides a more formal or traditional tone than the common kone and frue is reserved for more formal contexts regarding a lady of a household.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'the wife', add the suffix -a to kone to get kona. The plural definite form, 'the wives', is konene.
How do you pronounce it?
/²kuːnə/
Did you know?
- Norwegian uses the gender-neutral term ektemake for 'spouse', which comes from ekte meaning 'true' or 'authentic'.
- The word kone is a direct descendant of the Old Norse word kona.
- In some Norwegian dialects, kone can be used colloquially to describe a female partner even if the couple is not legally married.
Examples in context
- Tom si kone er norsk.Tom's wife is Norwegian.This sentence shows how to identify a person's wife using kone.Tatoeba #12473402 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #9838463 by Luornu
- Din kone er sint på deg.Your wife is mad at you.This sentence demonstrates using kone to describe a person's wife's emotional state.Tatoeba #2918000 by eirik174, translation #25705 by CK
- Er din kone flink å lage mat?Is your wife a good cook?This sentence shows how to ask a question about a person's wife using kone.Tatoeba #2917998 by eirik174, translation #25689 by CK
- Jeg vil gjerne introdusere min koneI would like to introduce my wife
- Han giftet seg med sin barndomsvenn og nå er hun hans koneHe married his childhood friend, and now she is his wife
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ingrid and Jakob are talking about a party invitation.
- IngridSkal du invitere din kone?Are you going to invite your wife?
- JakobJa, hun kommer nok.Yes, she will probably come.
- IngridDet er hyggelig at din kone blir med.It is nice that your wife is joining.
- JakobHun gleder seg til festen.She is looking forward to the party.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wife” translations and entries kone, hustru, frue, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries frue, hustru, kone, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
