Oppgåva

Oppgåva is the definite form of the Norwegian noun oppgåve in Nynorsk, meaning an assignment, task, or problem to solve. In Bokmål, the corresponding term is oppgave, with the definite form oppgaven. Oppgåva is commonly used in educational contexts in Norway, including school assignments, homework, exercises, and examination prompts. The term can refer to any task given to someone to complete, whether academic, professional, or logistical.

In usage, oppgåva may appear in sentences such as: “Eg har ein matteoppgåve til i kveld” or “Denne oppgåva handlar om klima.” The definite form oppgåva is used when referring to a specific assignment known to both speaker and listener. Plural forms in Nynorsk are oppgåvar (indefinite) and oppgåvene (definite), while Bokmål uses oppgaver / oppgavene.

The concept is central to education in Norway and appears across textbooks, coursework, and exams. The term also has cognates in other Nordic languages, such as Swedish uppgift and Danish opgave, reflecting a shared Germanic heritage for the idea of a task or assignment. These cognates illustrate how similar terms across Scandinavian languages express the same educational and work-related concept.