søke

Søke is a Norwegian verb meaning to search or to seek. It is used for looking for information, pursuing goals, or making formal requests to authorities. The sense can be literal or figurative, as in å søke etter informasjon, å søke en jobb, eller å søke asyl.

Grammar and usage. The infinitive is å søke. In present tense the form is søker; in the past tense it is søkte, and the past participle is søkt. The imperative form is søk. In compound tenses, norsk often uses har søkt. Søke is transitive and commonly combines with etter to specify what is being searched for (å søke etter noe) or with om to indicate an application or request (å søke om noe). It can also appear in fixed expressions such as søke jobb, søke visum, or søke asyl.

Contexts and meaning. Søke covers a range of activities, from practical searches for objects or information to more abstract acts like seeking opportunities or asylum. It also appears in academic or professional phrasing, for example søke etter kilder or søke finansiering.

Etymology and cognates. Søke derives from Old Norse søkja (or søkja), meaning to seek. It is closely related to Danish søge and Swedish söka, and to other Germanic forms. The verb participates in common compounds and has cognate senses across the Scandinavian languages.

Related terms. The noun søknad means an application or petition, derived from the verb concept of seeking or requesting. A person who seeks or applies is a søker.