Forsikre

Forsikre is a Norwegian verb with two primary meanings: to insure or to assure. In everyday language it is used both for obtaining financial protection through an insurance policy and for making a statement that something is true or certain.

In the insurance context, forsikre is used to describe the act of acquiring protection against risk. Common expressions include tegne en forsikring (to take out an insurance), kjøpe en forsikring (to buy an insurance), and ha en forsikring (to have an insurance). Typical types of insurance named with forsikring as a noun include livsforsikring (life insurance), bilforsikring (car insurance), reiseforsikring (travel insurance), and innboforsikring (house contents insurance).

In the sense of reassurance, forsikre is used to convey certainty to another person. For example, jeg vil forsikre deg om at alt er i orden means “I assure you that everything is in order.” The reflexive form forsikre seg om is used to mean to make sure of something or to reassure oneself.

Etymology and related forms: the verb is composed of the prefix for- attached to sikre, meaning to secure. Related nouns and adjectives include forsikring (insurance), forsikret (insured), and phrases like forsikringsavtale (insurance contract). In Scandinavian languages, cognate forms such as Swedish försäkra and Danish forsikre have similar meanings and usage, reflecting shared linguistic heritage.

See also: insurance, reassurance, language cognates in the Nordic region.