Hjälpen

Hjælpen is the definite form of the Danish noun hjælp, meaning help, aid, or assistance. The term is used for both the act of providing help and for the resources, services, or support available to someone in need. In everyday Danish, it can refer to informal assistance from friends and family as well as formal support from institutions.

In social policy and public discourse, hjelpen often describes the assistance provided by the state or municipalities to individuals, for example through welfare services, unemployment support, housing assistance, or healthcare-related aid. The word can appear in phrases that specify who provides the help and in what form, such as kommunal hjælp (municipal aid) or økonomisk hjælp (financial assistance).

Linguistically, hjælpen comes from the Old Norse hjálp and is related to cognates in other Germanic languages. The definite form is formed by adding the suffix -en, a common pattern for Danish nouns of this type.

The term is widely used in Danish media, law, and social science to discuss aid and support mechanisms, and it may appear as a title or subject in works addressing caregiving, social welfare, or humanitarian assistance.