bilde

Bilde is the Norwegian word for an image or picture. It refers to any visual representation, including photographs, drawings, and digital graphics. In everyday use, a person might say “Jeg tok et bilde” meaning “I took a picture.” The word forms vary by writing tradition: in Bokmål Norwegian it is spelled bilde, while in Nynorsk the corresponding form is often bilete.

Bilde has cognates in other Scandinavian languages. Danish uses billede for image, and Swedish uses bild or another related form; these forms share a common Germanic origin with Norwegian.

In computing and digital media, bilde appears in several common compounds. For example, bildefil is an image file and bildebehandling refers to image processing. The term also appears in discussions of photographs, artworks, or other visual content in media, education, and everyday communication.

The word sits within the broader Nordic linguistic family, reflecting Norwegian borrowing and adaptation from neighboring languages. Today, bilde is a staple of everyday vocabulary in Norwegian-speaking communities and appears across education, journalism, and casual conversation.