behøve

Behøve is a verb used in Danish and Norwegian to express that something is necessary or required. In Norwegian, the verb is relatively formal and older-sounding; in everyday speech it is often replaced by trenge or by the phrase ha behov for. The related noun behov denotes a need or necessity. In Danish, behøve is standard and widely used across registers.

Conjugation: In Norwegian Bokmål, the present tense is behøver, and the infinitive is behøve. The past tense is usually behøvde; participle forms vary by dialect. In Danish, present is behøver, past behøvede, and the perfect participle is behøvet.

Example: Jeg behøver hjelp. Vi behøver ikke å vente.

Etymology: Behøve is cognate with Swedish behöva and Danish behøve, descended from Proto-Nordic roots for need and related to words for necessity.

See also: behov, nødvendig, trenge.

Notes: The use of behøve remains more common in formal writing and older literature in Norwegian; modern speech often prefers trenge or phrases like ha behov for. In Danish, behøve maintains broader contemporary usage across informal and formal contexts.