Medføre

Medføre is a Danish verb meaning to entail, to lead to, or to cause a result or consequence. It expresses that a preceding action or condition brings about a subsequent effect. In English translations it is often rendered as “to entail” or “to bring about.” The term is common in formal or written Danish, including policy, legal, and academic prose.

Etymology and related forms: The word is formed from med- meaning “with” and fø re meaning “to lead,” thus literally “to lead with.” The sense of bringing about a consequence is preserved in related Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian Bokmål medføre and Swedish medföra.

Usage and nuance: Medføre is a transitive verb that usually takes a direct object referring to a consequence, obligation, or cost. It often emphasizes the outcome as a result of a preceding action. It is more formal and technical than natural speech, where you might use føre til or bring about to describe causation in everyday language.

Grammatical notes: Infinitive medføre; present medfører; past medførte; past participle medført. Perfect tense is formed with har, as in Det har medført betydelige kostnader. Passive constructions are rare but possible with appropriate auxiliary verbs.

Examples: Beslutningen medfører store omkostninger. Lovgivningen medfører nye forpligtelser for virksomheder. Det har medført kritik. Ændringen medførte betydelige forsinkelser.

See also: føre til, medfølge (to accompany), medvirke (to contribute).