Vådt

Vådt is an adjective used in Danish and Norwegian to mean wet or damp. It describes objects or conditions that contain moisture or are saturated with water, such as weather, clothing, surfaces, or soil. The term appears in everyday speech, weather reporting, and descriptions of environments where moisture is present.

The word belongs to the North Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family, with cognates across Scandinavian languages. In Danish, vådt is a standard form used in numerous contexts, and Norwegian speakers use closely related forms such as våt in common usage. The term reflects a shared linguistic heritage for describing moisture across the region.

Usage examples are common in both speech and writing. Danish phrases include "Det er vådt udenfor" (It’s wet outside) and "vådt tøj" (wet clothes). In weather discussions, one might hear "vådt vejr" to describe damp or rainy conditions. In practical contexts such as clothing, textiles, or construction, vådt describes moisture content and can influence drying times, durability, or handling.

In a broader sense, vådt contrasts with tør, the Danish word for dry, and it relates to discussions of humidity, moisture, and wetness in daily life, weather, and material science. As with many adjectives in the North Germanic languages, its precise inflection and form vary with grammatical context, but the core meaning remains consistently “wet” or “damp.” See also tør and fugt for related concepts of dryness and moisture.