forsøget

Forsøget is a noun used in Danish and Norwegian Bokmål to mean an attempt or a trial, and can also refer to an experiment in scientific or testing contexts. In everyday language it covers both the act of trying to do something and the execution of a test or procedure.

The word is derived from the verb at forsøge, meaning to attempt or to try. It is formed with the prefix for- and the root søge (to seek), giving the sense of making an effort or undertaking a trial. The definite singular form is forsøget, used when referring to a specific attempt, for example, Dette var et vellykket forsøg. The indefinite singular is et forsøg, the plural indefinite is forsøg, and the definite plural is forsøgene.

In usage, forsøget appears across diverse domains. It can describe a personal attempt, such as “et første forsøg,” as well as formal procedures like laboratory or clinical testing, where phrases such as kliniske forsøg are common. In medical or research contexts the term may occur in compounds like forsøgsperson (test subject) or references to the results of a trial.

See also terms related to the concept, including forsøge (to attempt), eksperiment (experiment), and kliniske forsøg (clinical trials). The word remains neutral and widely employed in both spoken and written Danish and Norwegian to denote an act of trying or testing.