forekomme

Forekomme is a Danish verb meaning to occur, take place, or appear. It is used to describe events, phenomena, or situations that happen or exist, often in formal or descriptive contexts such as science, journalism, and academic writing. The verb can denote both natural occurrences and instances of something being observed or detected.

Grammatical notes: the infinitive is at forekomme. In present tense it appears as forekommer, and in simple past as forekom. The past participle is forekommet, which is used to form completed actions in perfect tenses, for example har forekommet. The construction der forekommer is common for impersonal or existential statements, as in Der forekommer ofte små fejl i dataene. The verb can be followed by clauses introduced by at or by noun phrases, for example Det forekommer mig, at projektet vil lykkes.

Etymology and related forms: forekomme stems from the Danish prefix for- combined with komme (to come), reflecting a sense of something coming into being or appearing. The related noun forekomst means occurrence or presence, and forekommende is an adjective meaning “occurring” or “present.” In Scandinavian languages, cognate forms such as Swedish förekomma and Norwegian forekomme share the same core meaning.

Usage notes: forekomme is common in formal writing, reports, and descriptions of data or events. It can be used for both real-world events and hypothetical or notional occurrences. In everyday speech, speakers may prefer simpler verbs like ske or være, depending on context. Example translations: “Det forekommer ofte i naturen” → “It often occurs in nature,” and “Der forekommer et problem” → “There is a problem.”

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