slutte

Slutte is a verb used in Danish and Norwegian meaning to end, stop, or finish. In Danish, it is used to express ceasing an activity or bringing a process to an end, and can appear in phrases such as slutte med at gøre noget (to stop doing something) or at slutter arbejdet (to finish work). In Norwegian Bokmål, the infinitive is å slutte; the verb is commonly conjugated as slutter in the present tense and sluttet or har sluttet in the past and present perfect. The expression covers both stopping a behavior and finishing a period, project, or event, and may be superseded by the more formal avslutte in written or official contexts.

Etymology and usage notes: Slutte derives from Old Norse and Proto-Germanic roots related to closing or ending; cognates appear in Danish slutte and Swedish sluta, reflecting shared Germanic origins. In usage, the sense ranges from ceasing an activity (for example å slutte å røyke) to finishing a period or obligation (for example å slutte på skolen). In Norwegian, å slutte is commonly used for ceasing current actions, while avslutte is often preferred for formal termination of programs, contracts, or projects. Grammatical notes: the word forms shift with tense, and the imperative form is slutt! meaning “Stop!” in both Danish and Norwegian contexts.