åbne

Åbne is a Danish verb meaning to open. In standard Danish, the infinitive is åbne, typically used with the particle at in full constructions such as at åbne døren. The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. Its present tense is åbner (for example, jeg åbner døren), the simple past is åbnede, and the present perfect is formed with the past participle åbnet (for example, jeg har åbnet døren). The passive perfect construction also uses the same participle form, as in døren er åbnet. The imperative form is Åbn døren.

Etymology and cognates: Åbne comes from the Danish verb family that includes Old Danish and Old Norse roots related to opening actions. It is cognate with Swedish öppna and Norwegian åpne, reflecting a common Germanic heritage. The modern Danish spelling uses the letter å, a feature of the Scandinavian orthography that developed from earlier aa spellings.

Usage: The verb appears in literal contexts—opening doors, windows, containers—and in figurative ones, such as opening a discussion or opening up opportunities. A common phrasal variant is åbne op, meaning to open up more fully or publicly. In written and spoken Danish, the form открывается in compounds and news discourse is frequent when signaling openness or accessibility, such as open borders or open events. The related adjective åben means open as a property, and åbenhed denotes openness or transparency.

See also: åben (open as an adjective) and åbenhed (openness, transparency).