pålægge

Pålægge is a verb used in Norwegian Bokmål (å pålegge) meaning to impose or lay a burden, duty, or obligation on someone, typically by an authority such as a government, court, or regulator. The verb is common in formal and legal contexts, where one party requires another to act or refrain from acting, or to meet specific conditions.

The basic sense is causative: to cause someone to bear a responsibility or compliance obligation. It can be followed by an infinitive clause or a direct object referring to the obligation. For example, a government may pålegge citizens to follow certain rules, or a court may pålegge an individual to pay a fine or perform a task. In legislation and administrative communication, you often encounter phrases like “myndighetene pålegger …” or “loven pålegger arbeidsgivere å …”.

Pålægge has a related noun form in Norwegian, pålegg, which in formal use denotes an order, directive, or obligation issued by an authority. In everyday Norwegian, pålegg also means something edible—the fillings or toppings placed on bread or sandwiches—though this sense is separate from the legal or formal meaning and is distinguished by context and pronunciation.

Etymologically, pålægge derives from the verb legges or legge meaning “to lay” combined with the prefix på- meaning “upon,” yielding the sense “to lay upon” or “to impose.” The word thus conveys a transfer of responsibility or duty from an authority to another party.

See also: legge, pålegg (noun usage), legal obligations, administrative orders.