bekymrar

Bekymrar is a verb used in Norwegian and Swedish to mean to cause worry or to be concerned. It can describe a feeling of concern about a person, a situation, or an event, and it can be used transitively (to worry someone) or with a clause as the object (to worry that something will happen). In practice, it conveys mild to moderate concern rather than alarm.

In Norwegian, the form bekymrar is common in nynorsk for the present tense third person singular, while bokmål typically uses bekymrer. In Swedish, bekymrar serves as the present tense for the third person singular as well. The verb is often used with a direct object or with a following clause, for example: Det bekymrar meg (That worries me) or Det bekymrar mig att barnet inte sover (That the child isn’t sleeping concerns me).

Etymology and cognates: bekymrar derives from bekymre, which has cognates across the Scandinavian languages, such as Swedish bekymra and Danish bekymre. The exact historical origin is not always clear, but the family of words relates to the sense of causing or experiencing worry or concern.

Usage notes: Bekymrar is commonly paired with reflexive forms (bekymra seg) in some dialects to express personal concern. It often appears in everyday conversation, journalism, and literature when describing emotional responses to events, situations, or news. Related terms include bekymring (worry/concern) and bekymret (worried, concerned).