hæve

Hæve is a Danish verb meaning to raise, lift, or increase. It is used in both literal and figurative contexts and can take objects or be used with adverbs and prepositional phrases. In its physical sense, hæve denotes lifting or elevating something, as in lifting a box or raising one’s hand.

In figurative use, hæve commonly means to increase or raise quantities or values. Typical phrases include hæve prisen (to raise the price), hæve lønnen (to raise wages), and hæve skatten (to raise taxes). In finance, hæve can also mean to withdraw money from a bank account or from an ATM, as in hæve penge (to withdraw money).

Pronunciation and form: the word is pronounced with a long first vowel and ends with -ve, roughly /ˈhɛːvə/ in Danish. It can appear in different grammatical constructions, including as a regular finite verb in tense and aspect and in compound forms such as hæver (present), hævede (past), and har hævet (perfect).

Etymology and cognates: hæve is of Germanic origin and has cognates in other Germanic languages, including English heave and German heben. This reflects the shared linguistic heritage for verbs meaning “to lift” or “to raise.”

Usage notes: hæve is versatile and common in everyday Danish, used in both practical tasks and policy or economic discussions. While physical lifting often uses verbs like løfte, hæve is preferred for actions that imply increasing value or withdrawing funds, depending on context.