vekke

Vekke is a Norwegian verb meaning to wake someone up or to awaken from sleep. It is used transitively, with a direct object referring to the person or animal who is being awakened. In everyday language, the verb is commonly used to describe actions that cause another person to leave sleep, such as an alarm clock or a caregiver waking someone.

Vekke is distinct from våkne, which more often denotes waking up in oneself or becoming awake, rather than causing another person to wake. For example, a parent might vekke a child, while the child wakes up via våkner naturally in the morning. In passive or middle constructions, one can express being awakened by something: Jeg blir vekket av alarmklokken (I am awakened by the alarm clock).

Etymology and related forms: Vekke is a Germanic-origin verb related to similar wake-up terms in neighboring Nordic languages. It sits in the causative end of the verb spectrum, in contrast to våkne, which centers on the subject’s own process of waking. In compounds and informal speech, vekke appears in common phrases describing routine wake-up situations, such as at home, in schools, or in workplaces.

Usage notes: Vekke is typically used in present and past tense to describe the act of causing wakefulness, not the act of waking up oneself. When describing one’s own awakening, våkne is the preferred verb. Both forms are standard in Norwegian, with regional and stylistic variations in frequency and nuance.

See also: våkne, alarm, wakefulness.