hjelpsom

Hjelpsom is a Norwegian adjective meaning willing to help others or ready to provide assistance. It describes people who take the initiative to aid others or behaviours that show helpfulness. The term is generally positive and common in everyday use.

In Bokmål, the adjective inflects for degree as hjelpsom, mer hjelpsom, mest hjelpsom. Definite forms are den hjelpsomme, det hjelpsomme, de hjelpsomme. The corresponding noun is hjelpsomhet, meaning helpfulness. Common collocations include en hjelpsom nabo, en hjelpsom kollega, og hjelpsomme tjenester.

Etymology traces hjelpsom to the root hjelp, meaning help, combined with the suffix -som, which forms adjectives indicating the quality of having or being characterized by something. The word has cognates in other Scandinavian languages: Danish, hjelpsom; Swedish, hjälpsam, with similar meanings.

Usage wise, hjelpsom is typically positive and used for people, workplaces, and customer-service contexts. It can describe a person or a disposition rather than a single act of aid. It is distinct from words like nyttig (useful) in that hjelpsom emphasizes willingness and readiness to assist, while nyttig emphasizes usefulness. The term is commonly applied to colleagues, neighbors, or service providers to connote reliability and a cooperative attitude.