fylle

Fylle is a verb in Norwegian and in cognate forms in related North Germanic languages. It means to make something full or to fill up, and it can also refer to making something complete or satisfying a requirement. The infinitive form is fylle, and it is used in both concrete senses (filling a container) and abstract senses (filling a role, a need, or a form).

Common usages include filling a container, such as fylle glasset med vann (fill the glass with water); filling out information in a form, as in fylle ut et skjema; and filling up space or capacity, as in fylle opp plass eller kapasitet. The verb also appears in compound constructions such as fylle ut and fylle opp, which expand its range of meanings. Expressions such as fylle 18 år are used to indicate turning eighteen years old, reflecting a broader sense of completing a milestone.

Fylle is a native verb with cognates in other North Germanic languages, and it shares its core meaning with related terms in those languages. A related noun in Norwegian is fylla, which refers to drunkenness; it is spelled differently and represents a distinct word, though historically connected to fylle. In usage, fylla tends to denote intoxication rather than the act of filling, illustrating how related words can diverge semantically over time.

Overall, fylle encompasses a broad set of meanings tied to making something full or complete, with numerous phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions that extend its practical uses beyond a simple “to fill.”