Kjøles

Kjøles is a Norwegian verb meaning “to be cooled” or “to become cold.” It is the passive form of the verb køle, which derives from the Old Norse kǫla, related to the English word “cool.” In contemporary Norwegian, kjøles is used both in literal contexts—describing physical cooling processes such as food being stored in a refrigerator—and in figurative or idiomatic expressions, for example, “situasjonen kjøles ned” (the situation calms down). The verb follows regular conjugation patterns in Norwegian Bokmål: present tense kjøles, past tense kjølte, and past participle kjølt. Kjøles is commonly found in technical, culinary, and everyday language, often appearing in instructions for food preservation, laboratory procedures, and climate control systems. In Nynorsk, the equivalent form is “kjølast.” The term also appears in compound words and phrases, such as “kjøleskap” (refrigerator) and “kjølesystem” (cooling system), highlighting its central role in describing temperature regulation. As a lexical item, kjøles reflects Norway’s cultural emphasis on food safety and environmental adaptation, where managing cold temperatures is essential for both domestic and industrial practices.