då

See also: daa and Appendix:Variations of "da"

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• dåe

Etymology

From Old Norse ákrdái. Related to dø (“to die”).

Noun

då m (definite singular dåen, indefinite plural dåer, definite plural dåene)

1. hemp-nettle

References

• “då” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /doː/
• In the third sense of the adverb, it should always be pronounced unstressed.

Etymology 1

From Old Norse þá, from Proto-Germanic *þan (“then”). Its use as a conjunction can be seen as taken from the Old Norse combination þá er (er being the actual conjunction).

Alternative forms

• da
• daa (obsolete spelling)

Conjunction

då

1. when (at a time in the past)

   Då morgonen kom, hadde vêret vorte betre.

   When the morning came, the weather had gotten better.

2. since, as (used to denote a reason)

   Synonym: ettersom

Adverb

då

1. then (at that time)

   Fyrst då kan me gjera noko med det.

   We can't do anything about it until then.

2. then (in that case)

   Då er eg redd det er lite me kan gjera.

   Then I am afraid there is little we can do.

3. yet, still, though

Derived terms

• dåtid
• no og då

Etymology 2

kvassdå, the common hemp-nettle

From Old Norse ákrdái, whence also Swedish dån. Related to døy (“to die”).

Alternative forms

• dæ m or f, dæe m

Noun

då m (definite singular dåen, indefinite plural dåar, definite plural dåane)

2. a hemp-nettle

Derived terms

• dundå
• guldå
• kvassdå
• smaldå
• vrangdå

References

• “då” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Alternative forms

• da (adverb; eye dialect)

Etymology

From Old Swedish þā, from Old Norse þá, from Proto-Germanic *þan (“then”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /doː/, [doː]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -oː

Adverb

då (not comparable)

1. then; at that time
2. then; in that case
3. what about, how about

   Den där, då?

   What about that one?

Conjunction

då

1. when; at the same point in time as

   Vi sov då branden började.

   We were sleeping when the fire started.

2. (dated) since, as; by background of the case being that

   Då inget tvivel tycks råda om hans skuld, beslutar jag härmed...

   Since there seems to be no doubts about his guilt, I hereby decide...

Usage notes

• In the first use, it is far more common to use när than då, which is very rare in spoken language.
• In the second use, it is far more common to use eftersom; då may be perceived as archaic.

Derived terms

• hej då

References

• då in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• då in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• då in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• då in Reverso Context (Swedish-English)