skjer

Skjer is the present tense form of the Norwegian verb å skje, meaning to happen or to occur. It is used to describe events, developments, or happenings in the present or near present. The form is common in both main Norwegian varieties, Bokmål and Nynorsk, and it functions as an intransitive verb. A typical usage is the impersonal phrase det skjer, meaning “it is happening” or “that happens,” as in Hva skjer? (“What’s happening?”).

Conjugation and related forms include the infinitive å skje, the present tense skjer, the past tense skjedde, and the past participle skjedd. The perfect tense is formed with har/skjedd, as in det har skjedd (that has happened). The future can be expressed with vil skje or komme til å skje. There is no separate passive form for this verb in common usage; events are usually described in the active voice or with impersonal constructions.

Examples of usage include: Hva skjer? (What’s happening?), Det skjer i kveld. (It’s happening tonight.), I går skjedde det noe uventet. (Something unexpected happened yesterday.), Det har skjedd flere ganger. (It has happened several times.). The verb is frequently used in news reporting, conversation about ongoing events, and narratives describing sequences of events.

Etymology traces the word to Old Norse forms such as skjǫ/ skja, with cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as Danish ske and Swedish ske. The noun skje, though homographic, is a distinct word meaning “spoon,” illustrating the importance of context and pronunciation in Norwegian.