sætte

Sætte is a Danish verb meaning to put, place, or set something in a particular position, and it also covers broader senses such as to establish or to install. It is transitive and takes a direct object in many uses, for example sætte en lampe op (to install a lamp) or sætte noget på plads (to put something in place). The verb also appears in idiomatic and compound expressions, such as sætte i gang (to start or initiate), sætte en stopper for noget (to put a stop to something), sætte pris på noget (to appreciate something), and sætte sig (to sit down). Phrasal forms include sætte sig til rette (to settle in) and sætte noget i værk (to put something into effect).

Conjugation and forms: the infinitive is at sætte; present tense is sætter (he/she/it sets); past tense is satte; the supine (used in perfect tenses) is sat, and the perfect participle is har sat (has set/has put). The forms reflect a Germanic root with the common English cognate set, and the past tense sætte is irregular.

Etymology and relatives: sætte derives from Old Norse setja, related to other Germanic languages through the common root for “to set” or “to place.” The Danish form with the letter æ is standard in modern Danish orthography. In related Scandinavian languages, cognate verbs exist with similar meanings, though standard spellings vary (for example, norske former may appear as sette or setje in other varieties).

Usage notes: sætte is versatile, spanning concrete actions (placing objects, mounting devices) and abstract actions (establishing rules, beginning processes). It is widely used in everyday Danish and appears in many fixed expressions and idioms, making it one of the core verbs for describing positioning, initiation, and valuation.