Underholdes

Underholdes is the present passive form of the Norwegian verb underholde, which means to entertain or amuse. The form denotes a state in which someone or something is being entertained, rather than performing the act of entertaining. It is used in Norwegian Bokmål and Nynorsk, and has cognates in Danish and Swedish with similar meanings, though spelling conventions differ slightly between languages.

In usage, underholdes typically appears in sentences describing a recipient of entertainment. Examples include: Publikum underholdes av showet (The audience is entertained by the show), and Forestillingen underholdes av et orkester (The performance is being entertained by an orchestra). The verb can be contrasted with its active form, underholder (which means “entertains”), and with the past forms underholdt/underholdte (entertained).

Etymologically, underholde is formed from under- (a prefix related to holding or attracting) and holde (to hold). The related noun underholdning means entertainment or amusement, reflecting the idea of holding attention or interest.

Grammatical notes indicate that present passive forms like underholdes are used to shift focus from the actor to the recipient of the entertainment. The past passive is typically expressed with ble underholdt (was entertained) in Norwegian, while active past forms follow standard patterns: underholdt (entertained). In Danish, the equivalent present passive is also underholdes, while Swedish often uses underhålls as the present passive form.

See also: Underholdning, Entertainment, Norwegian grammar.