Slået

Slået is the past participle of the Danish verb slå, meaning to strike, hit, beat, or defeat. It is used in forming perfect tenses with have, as in jeg har slået (I have hit/defeated), and in passive or adjectival constructions such as han er slået eller han er blevet slået (he has been beaten / he has been beaten). In fixed expressions, slået appears in contexts like slået ihjel (beaten to death) or slået ned (knocked down).

Grammar and usage

Slå is an irregular verb. Its present tense is slår, past tense slog, and the supine is slået, which also serves as the past participle. The participle slået is used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses (har slået, er/slået blevet) and in passive constructions (blevet slået). As a participle, slået generally functions as part of a verbal phrase rather than as a standalone adjective, though it can appear in certain idiomatic expressions.

Etymology and cognates

Slå originates from Old Norse and belongs to the Germanic root related to striking or beating. Danish shares cognates with other Scandinavian languages; for example, Norwegian Bokmål and Nynorsk use forms like slått, while Swedish uses slagit for similar meanings. The Danish form slået reflects its unique development within Danish orthography and pronunciation.

Common phrases and meanings

Beyond literal hitting, slået appears in phrases describing defeat or impact, such as slået til jorden (knocked to the ground) and slået ihjel (beaten to death). It also features in expressions indicating surprise or impact, depending on context. As with many participles, the exact nuance depends on the surrounding verb and the sentence’s voice.

See also

Slå (to strike), slående (present participle in Danish), slått (Norwegian), slagit (Swedish).