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Vært is a form used in Danish and Norwegian that primarily functions as the past participle of the verb være, meaning “to be.” In both languages, vært appears in perfect and other compound tenses to indicate a state that has existed up to the present or another reference point. Examples include Danish “Jeg har været der” (I have been there) and Norwegian Bokmål “Han har vært i Norge” (He has been in Norway). The form is not used as a standalone finite verb in ordinary speech; it is part of the verb’s perfective construction.

In Danish, værd is also a noun, but different in meaning: vært (en vært) means “host,” the person who hosts a event or gathering. The definite form is værten, and it is used to refer to a specific host. For example, “Værten byder velkommen” (The host welcomes [the guests]). This noun usage is specific to Danish; in Norwegian, the corresponding host noun is typically written vert (without the æ/ø), and vært as a noun is not common.

Etymology and cognates: vært derives from the North Germanic verb være, the ancestor of the modern Danish and Norwegian forms. It has cognates in other languages, such as Swedish varit, which functions as the past participle of vara (to be). The parallel forms across the Scandinavian languages reflect their shared linguistic heritage, while spelling and usage diverge in each language’s standard grammar.

Overall, vært is most familiar as a grammatical past participle in Danish and Norwegian, with a distinct Danish noun meaning “host.”