blæs

Blås is a word found in Scandinavian languages, most commonly as the imperative form of the verb “to blow.” In Swedish the infinitive is blåsa and the present tense is blåser, while the imperative form addressed to a single person is blås. In Norwegian Bokmål the corresponding forms are blåse (infinitive), blåser (present), and blås (imperative). The core meaning in both languages is to cause air to move by exhaling, to inflate, or to produce wind.

Usage and meanings. Blås is used in contexts such as blowing air into a device, fanning flames, or producing tones on wind instruments. The imperative blås is commonly heard in instructional settings, for example when teaching someone to play a brass or woodwind instrument, or in activities that require inflating or clearing air. The verb also appears in idiomatic expressions, such as blow out a candle (blåsa ut ljuset) or to indicate exhaling air, as in a breath-related context.

Etymology. The word originates from the Old Norse blása, which in turn derives fromProto-Germanic roots related to blowing and wind. Through Swedish blåsa and Norwegian blåse, the term spread into everyday usage in modern Scandinavian languages.

Variants and related forms. While the imperative form blås is common to both Swedish and Norwegian, the present tense forms differ’s exact spelling in each language (blåser in both Swedish and Norwegian). The core concept remains the same: to cause air to move by exhaling.

See also. Blowing, breath, wind instruments, flaring flames.