berøre

Berøre is a Norwegian verb with multiple related senses. Primarily, it means to touch physically, but it is also used figuratively to mean affect emotionally or to touch on a topic. It is a transitive verb and normally takes a direct object.

Derived from the root røre (to move or touch) with the prefix be-, berøre conveys a directed action toward the object. The form is common in Bokmål and in Norwegian dialects, and it corresponds to similar verbs in other Germanic languages.

In present tense the forms are jeg berører, du berører, han berører, vi berører, dere berører, de berører. The past tense is berørte, and the past participle is berørt, used with har or være to form the perfect or passive constructions, for example har berørt or ble berørt.

Physical touch: “Hun berørte armen min.” Emotional impact: “Filmen berørte meg dypt.” Figurative: “Artikkelen berører flere viktige spørsmål.” Passive/reciprocal: “Jeg ble berørt av historien.” The verb is common in everyday language, journalism, and literature to describe both literal contact and the effect of content on a person.

Related terms include røre (to move or touch), berørt (touched, moved), and berøring (touch, contact). The nuance depends on context, ranging from literal touch to emotional or topical reach.