motstykke

Motstykke is a Norwegian noun meaning counterpart or counterpiece. It denotes an item that corresponds to another item in a set or pair and is necessary to complete or balance the whole. The word is formed from mot- meaning “against” or “counter,” and stykke meaning “piece.”

In technical and industrial contexts, motstykke refers to the matching part of a component pair—the counterpart that fits with the other part, such as two halves of a mold or a bolt designed to fit with a matching nut. It emphasizes a functional mating relationship where the two parts form a complete, working unit.

In more figurative use, motstykke can describe a person or role that serves as the counterpart to another, for example in a partnership or in a narrative where one character acts as the motstykke to the other. While the term can carry this sense of complementary form, it is less common in everyday speech compared with more general words like counterpart or partner.

The term is related to, but distinct from, komplement (complement), which refers to something that completes a whole without necessarily implying a specific mate; and motpart, which denotes the opposing party in a dispute or negotiation. Depending on context, motstykke can be translated as counterpart, counterpiece, or matching component.