undersøke

Undersøke is a Norwegian verb meaning to examine, investigate, or study something carefully in order to determine facts, verify a claim, or gain knowledge. It is used in medicine, science, journalism, law enforcement, and everyday language. The action can be physical (examining a patient or inspecting a site) or analytical (testing a hypothesis, reviewing evidence).

In Bokmål, the infinitive is å undersøke. The present tense is undersøker; the past tense is undersøkte; the past participle is undersøkt; and the imperative is Undersøk!. The verb follows standard Norwegian conjugation, and it is often used with adverbs to express depth or scope, for example undersøke nærmere or undersøke en sak.

The related noun is undersøkelse, meaning an investigation or survey. The adjective forms derive from the same stem (und ersøkt/undersøkte when used in compounds). The term has cognates in Danish (undersøge) and Swedish (undersöka), reflecting shared Germanic roots.

Common usage notes: in medical contexts, å undersøke is used for examining a patient; in research and journalism, it denotes a thorough inquiry into a claim or phenomenon. Examples: Vi undersøkte prøven i laboratoriet. Journalisten undersøkte påstanden nøye. Politiet undersøkte området nøye.