nærme

Nærme is a Norwegian verb meaning to move toward or to come near. It is used for physical movement toward a place or object, as well as for figurative approaches such as nearing a goal, deadline, or situation. When used with the reflexive pronoun seg, the phrasal verb nærme seg expresses approaching or drawing closer: for example, Vi nærmer oss målet.

In everyday Norwegian, nærme is predominantly intransitive with nærmer seg or with a complement indicating what is being approached. The verb can also appear in a more formal or older, transitive sense, meaning to bring something nearer, though this usage is less common in contemporary speech.

Conjugation and forms: the infinitive is å nærme; present tense is nærmer; past tense is nærmet; the supine and the perfect participle are also nærmet. The present participle is nærmende in some constructions. The forms are generally the same in Bokmål and Nynorsk, with minor stylistic variations.

Etymology and cognates: nærme derives from the common Germanic root for near, with cognates in other Scandinavian languages such as Danish nærme and Swedish närma, reflecting shared Germanic origins.

Usage notes: common collocations include nærme seg et mål, nærmere (the comparative form meaning nearer), and the related noun nærhet (nearness). The adverb nær means nearby. In writing and speech, the choice between nærme and closer verbs depends on precision and register; nærme is versatile for both physical and abstract approaches.

See also: nærhet, nær, närma (cognates in Scandinavian languages).