ikke

Ikke is a negation particle used in Norwegian and Danish to negate statements, predicates, and clauses. In both languages, it functions as the primary negative marker in finite clauses, modifying verbs, adjectives, or entire predicates. For example, in Norwegian Bokmål you would say Jeg liker ikke dette, and in Danish Jeg kan ikke forstå det. The sentence structure usually places ikke after the finite verb, though it can also appear after auxiliary verbs in questions or in negative adverbial phrases.

In Norwegian, there are orthographic variants depending on standard written forms. Bokmål uses ikke as the standard negation, while Norwegian Nynorsk commonly writes ikkje. The distribution of ikke/ikkje reflects historical development and regional spelling preferences within Norway, but both forms serve the same grammatical function. Danish uses the form ikke consistently as the standard negation, with similar placement after the finite verb.

I usage, ikke can negate a range of categories: verbs (Å ikke se), adjectives (ikke stor), or entire clauses (Det er ikke sant). It can be intensified with adverbs or combined with other negation words such as ingen or ingenting in broader negation constructions. Expressions like ikke bare (not only) and ikke noe (not anything) illustrate how ikke scopes over larger parts of a sentence. In some dialects or informal contexts, other negation forms may appear, but ikke/ikkje remains the core negation particle in Norwegian and Danish.

Historically, ikke derives from Old Norse ekk i and related Germanic negation particles. Danish and Norwegian standardized the form in modern spelling, while Norwegian dialects preserve alternate spellings such as ikkje. Across both languages, ikke is essential for negation in everyday and literary usage.