håpet

Håpet is the definite singular form of the Norwegian noun håp, meaning "hope" in English. It denotes the feeling or state of hoping for something, or a sense of expectation about the future. In everyday Norwegian, håpet appears in phrases such as håpet om en bedre framtid (the hope of a better future) and håpet i hjertet (the hope in the heart).

Håpet is used in both bokmål and nynorsk. The indefinite form is håp, while håpet marks a definite reference to a previously mentioned or specific hope. The related verb håpe means "to hope," and the adjective form håpefull means "hopeful." The word can function as a subject or object in a sentence, and it also appears in literary and religious writing to express resilience and aspiration.

Historically, håp/håpet comes from the broader Germanic linguistic heritage, with cognates in neighboring languages such as Danish håb. In religious and philosophical contexts, hope is a central notion; in Christian theology it is one of the three theological virtues alongside faith and love, embodying confident expectation of future grace or fulfillment of promises.