undervise

Undervise is a Danish verb meaning to teach, instruct, or educate someone, usually in a formal setting such as a school or training program. It denotes the act of transmitting knowledge or skills from a teacher to learners. The noun form is undervisning, referring to instruction or teaching as a process or system.

Etymology and cognates: The word combines under- with vise, historically linked to showing or demonstrating. The term is shared with Norwegian Bokmål (undervise) and has close cognates in other Scandinavian languages; in Swedish the equivalent verb is undervisa.

Usage: Undervise is transitive. In the present tense one says for example "Læreren underviser eleverne i matematik" (The teacher teaches the students mathematics). The past tense is "underviste," and the supine (perfect participle) is "undervist." The passive form is "undervises" as in "Eleverne undervises i faget" (The students are taught in the subject). Common expressions include undervise i et fag, undervise i færdigheder, or undervise eleverne i noget.

Context: In educational policy and pedagogy, undervise is used to describe formal instruction within schools, universities, or training programs. It is often contrasted with broader concepts such as undervisning (the overall act of instruction) and with pedagogical approaches that emphasize learner-centered methods rather than direct instruction.

See also: undervisning, pedagogy, curriculum, classroom instruction.