forsvinder

Forsvinner is a Norwegian verb meaning to disappear, cease to be present, or go missing. It is an intransitive verb and can describe objects, people, events, or phenomena that cease to be visible, detectable, or traceable. The infinitive is å forsvinne; the present tense is forsvinner (jeg forsvinner, du forsvinner, han/hun forsvinner, vi forsvinner, dere forsvinner, de forsvinner). The simple past tense is forsvant, and the past participle is forsvunnet. The imperative form is forsvinn.

In usage, forsvinner can refer to physical disappearance, such as a person leaving a room or a item vanishing, or to more abstract cases like a memory or opportunity that has lapsed. Examples include: Saken forsvant sporløst (The matter disappeared without a trace); Han forsvant fra festen (He vanished from the party); Minnet forsvant (The memory faded or disappeared). The verb supports both concrete and figurative senses and appears in everyday language as well as journalism and literature.

Etymology and cognates: forsvinne is built from the prefix for- meaning away or off, combined with svinne, a verb meaning to fade or vanish. The construction has parallels in other Scandinavian languages, including Danish forsinde/forvinde and Swedish försvinna, reflecting shared Germanic roots. The word also forms standard inflections found in Bokmål and closely related forms in Nynorsk.

See also: disappearance, vanishing, wandering, and related verbs in Scandinavian languages.