forlovet

Forlovet is a Danish adjective meaning engaged to be married. It describes a person or couple who have entered into a formal engagement. An example sentence is: "Han er forlovet med Maria." The form inflects like other Danish adjectives and changes with gender and number in sentences, but the base form "forlovet" is used in the masculine singular and neuter singular. The noun for the state or act of engagement is "forlovelse," and the related expression "forlovelsesring" refers to an engagement ring.

The verb from which it derives is "forlove" (to betroth or engage), and its past participle "forlovet" is used as the adjective meaning "engaged." In modern usage, being forlovet carries social meaning and signals that a couple intends to marry, though it generally has no formal legal status beyond the commitment itself.

In Scandinavian languages, the term appears with related forms: Norwegian Bokmål uses "forlovet" with a similar meaning, while Swedish uses the cognate "förlovad." This reflects shared Germanic roots for betrothal and engagement.

See also: forlovelse; forlovelsesring; betrothal; engagement in Scandinavia.