Hjælpe

Hjælpe is a Danish verb meaning to help or to assist. It is a transitive verb used to describe giving aid or support to a person, a group, or a task. In everyday language it appears in common constructions such as helping someone with something (hjælpe nogen med noget) and contributing to an effort (hjælpe til).

Origin and cognates: Hjælpe derives from Old Danish and is cognate with Norwegian hjelpe/hjelpe and Swedish hjälpa/hjälpa, as well as Icelandic hjálpa. Its roots lie in the Germanic language family, and related forms appear in other languages, including English (help).

Grammar and usage: The infinitive is at hjælpe. The present tense is hjælper (I help, you help, he/she helps). The imperative is hjælp (Help!). Danish also forms past tenses, with the perfect using the past participle hjulpet, as in har hjulpet (has helped). The simple past forms exist and vary by speaker or region, but the standard function of the verb remains to express assistance or aid in the past as well as the present.

Usage notes: Hjælpe is used in a wide range of contexts, from casual everyday phrases to formal writing. It often appears with præpositions such as med (with) to indicate the task being assisted, or til (to) to indicate contributing to a larger effort. The related noun hjælp means “help” or “assistance.”

See also: hjælp, the noun meaning assistance; other Danish verbs for assistive actions.