Bestemmer

Bestemmer is a verb in Danish and Norwegian that means to decide or to determine. It is used when a person or institution makes a choice, sets a rule, or establishes an outcome. The form appears in everyday language as well as in formal regulatory or legal writing.

In present tense, bestemmer is used with all subjects: jeg bestemmer, du bestemmer, han/hun bestemmer, vi bestemmer, I bestemmer, de bestemmer. The simple past is bestemte, and the present perfect is har bestemt in both languages.

Common uses include deciding schedules, assigning tasks, or determining eligibility, specifications, or interpretations. In government or legal texts, bestemmer often expresses authority to set terms or criteria, such as a committee that determines grant eligibility or a law that determines penalties. The related noun bestemmelse can mean a provision, clause, or rule, and the adjective bestemt denotes definiteness.

Originates from the Germanic language family; the Danish and Norwegian forms are cognate with the German verb bestimmen and with related words in other Germanic languages, reflecting a common semantic field of decision and determination.

See also: bestemme (infinitive), bestemmelser, bestemmelse, bestemt.