nå
Cimbrian
Etymology
From Middle High German nāch, from Old High German nāh. Cognate with German nach; see there for more.
Preposition
nå
Related terms
References
- Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien
Danish
Etymology 1
From Old Norse ná, from Proto-Germanic *nēhwijaną, cognate with Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌾𐌰𐌽 (nēƕjan, “to approach”). Derived from *nēhwaz (“near”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /nɔːˀ/, [ˈnɔˀ]
- Rhymes: -ɑː
Verb
nå (past tense nåede, past participle nået)
- (transitive) to reach
- Jeg kan ikke nå den øverste hylde.
- I cannot reach the top shelf.
- (transitive) to have time
- Jeg kan ikke nå det i dag, men måske i morgen.
- I do not have time for it today, but perhaps tomorrow.
- (transitive) to be in time, arrive
- Jeg nåede det kun lige.
- I only barely made it.
Conjugation
Etymology 2
Possibly originally an unstressed variant of nu (“now”). Compare also German na (“well, oh”)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /nɔ/, [ˈnʌ]
Interjection
nå
Usage notes
Like English oh, meaning depends almost entirely on context and intonation.
Emilian
Etymology
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈnʌ/
Particle
nå
German Low German
Preposition
nå
- (Mecklenburgisch) alternative spelling of nao (“to, towards”)
- 2018, Susanne Bliemel, Dat wier de Nachtigall un nich de Uhl ... : Plattdeutsche Geschichten, Hinstorff (publisher)
- Un ik bün jå in Polen nå Schaul gåhn vun Lemberg ut, ik kunn Polnisch.
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- 2018, Susanne Bliemel, Dat wier de Nachtigall un nich de Uhl ... : Plattdeutsche Geschichten, Hinstorff (publisher)
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /noː/
- Rhymes: -oː
Adverb
nå
- now (this very moment)
Derived terms
Verb
nå (imperative nå, present tense når, simple past nådde, past participle nådd)
- to reach
References
- “nå” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /noː/
- Rhymes: -oː
Etymology 1
From Old Norse nú. Akin to English now.
Adverb
nå
- alternative form of no
Etymology 2
Verb
nå (imperative nå, present tense når, simple past nådde, past participle nådd or nått)
- to reach
- Når du i osten?
- Can you reach the cheese?
- to catch (reach something in time)
- Eg nådde akkurat toget.
- I just caught the train.
Derived terms
References
- “nå” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Swedish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /noː/, [noə̯]
Audio (Gotland): (file) - Rhymes: -oː
Etymology 1
From Old Swedish na, from Old Norse ná. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to reach, to attain”).
Verb
nå (present når, preterite nådde, supine nått, imperative nå)
- to reach, attain
- 1870, Johan Ludvig Runeberg, Mitt liv[1]:
- Var är hoppets guldkust gömd,
aldrig nådd och aldrig glömd?- Where is the golden coast of hope hidden,
never reached and never forgotten?
- Where is the golden coast of hope hidden,
- 1939, Selma Lagerlöf, - Slåtterkarlarna på Ekolsund
- Han når sin önskans mål och slår sin sista äng
just som en restrött sol sig sänkt i västerns säng.- He reaches his wish's goal and harvests his last meadow
just as a travelweary sun has lowered itself into the western bed.
- He reaches his wish's goal and harvests his last meadow
- 2000, Elisabeth Precht, Nätet kryllar av löss och skrönor[2]:
- Det finns ingen som vet hur många som nås av all hälsoinformation på Internet.
- Nobody knows how many are reached by all health information on the Internet.
Conjugation
| active | passive | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | nå | nås | ||
| supine | nått | nåtts | ||
| imperative | nå | — | ||
| imper. plural1 | nån | — | ||
| present | past | present | past | |
| indicative | når | nådde | nås | nåddes |
| ind. plural1 | nå | nådde | nås | nåddes |
| subjunctive2 | nå | nådde | nås | nåddes |
| present participle | nående | |||
| past participle | nådd | |||
1 Archaic. 2 Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.
Etymology 2
Compare German na, Finnish no, Russian ну (nu), and their cognates. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Interjection
nå
- well? (encouragement to actually provide an answer or reaction to a question)
- well (used to acknowledge a statement or situation)
- Nå, vi kan alltid gå istället.
- Well, we could always walk instead.
Usage notes
(encouragement): Interjection used to express for the addressee that one is expecting and waiting for an answer or reaction from him or her.
Adverb
nå (not comparable)
- (colloquial) any (at all, to any extent)
- Är den nå bra?
- Is it any good?
See also
References
- nå in Svensk ordbok (SO)
- nå in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
- nå in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)