lagde

Lagde is a past tense verb form used in Danish and Norwegian. In these languages, lagde marks the simple past tense of different base verbs, and its exact meaning depends on the verb it comes from. In Danish it stems from lægge (to lay, to place), while in Norwegian it comes from lage (to make, to prepare). The same spelling thus represents different lexical items in the two languages, but both share the common function of indicating a completed past action.

In Danish, lagde is used to describe actions completed in the past that involve placing or setting something down. For example: Jeg lagde nøglen på bordet. This translates to “I laid the key on the table.” The sentence conveys a completed act of placing the key there.

In Norwegian, lagde serves as the simple past of lage, meaning to make or prepare. For instance: Han lagde maten. This means “He made (prepared) the food.” Here the action centers on production or preparation rather than simply placing something.

Etymology and related forms: The two Danish and Norwegian forms are cognate, sharing a common past-tense pattern in the Scandinavian languages. They derive from older forms of the verbs lægge (Danish) and lage (Norwegian), both tied to the broader Germanic root for placing, making, or preparing. The spelling lagde reflects regular past-tense endings in each language and should be interpreted in light of the specific base verb involved.

See also: lægge, lage, and related Scandinavian verb families.