forekommer

Forekommer is a verbal form used in Danish and Norwegian Bokmål to express that something happens or appears. It is the present tense form of the verb forekomme and is used for all subjects (jeg, du, han, vi, de). The meaning covers both the sense of an event occurring and something appearing before someone or in a certain context.

Etymology and form: Forekommer comes from forekomme, a Germanic root combining a prefix related to “before” or “in front” with komme, meaning “to come.” In both Danish and Norwegian, the form forekommer is used in the present tense, with forekom (past) and har forekommet (present perfect) as common related forms.

Usage: In neutral, formal writing the verb describes events, phenomena, or conditions that exist or take place. It is frequently found in reports, studies, articles, and descriptive passages. In Danish, a common idiomatic use is Det forekommer mig that … to express a personal impression, meaning “it occurs to me that ….” In Norwegian, Det forekommer meg that … serves a parallel function. The construction should be distinguished from personal opinions expressed with other verbs; forekommer denotes occurrence or appearance rather than a direct judgment.

Examples:

Danish: Fænomenet forekommer ofte i historiske tekster. Det forekommer mig, at der mangler data.

Norwegian: Fenomenet forekommer ofte i historiske kilder. Det forekommer meg at vi bør vurdere situasjonen nøye.

Related forms include forekom past tense (forekom) and forekommet (past participle).