Danish edit

Etymology edit

From Old Norse helzt.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /hɛlst/, [hɛlˀsd̥]

Adverb edit

helst

  1. superlative degree of gerne (willingly)

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Icelandic edit

Etymology edit

From Old Norse helzt.

Adverb edit

helst

  1. superlative degree of gjarna (willingly)
    Þetta vildi ég helst ekki.
    I didn't really want that.

Derived terms edit

Norwegian Bokmål edit

Etymology edit

From Old Norse helzt.

Adverb edit

helst

  1. superlative degree of gjerne (willingly)

Derived terms edit

Norwegian Nynorsk edit

Etymology 1 edit

From Old Norse helzt.

Pronunciation edit

Adverb edit

helst

  1. superlative degree of gjerne

Etymology 2 edit

Verb edit

helst

  1. past participle of helsa

References edit

Swedish edit

Etymology edit

From Old Norse helzt.

Pronunciation edit

  • (file)

Adverb edit

helst

  1. superlative degree of gärna (happily): most of all (most preferably)
    Han vill gärna ha en grön kanin, men hellre en gul kanin, och helst en blå kanin
    He would be happy to own a green rabbit, but would prefer a yellow rabbit, and most of all he would like a blue rabbit
  2. preferably
    – Dricka frätande syra är onyttigt. – Jo, det bör man helst inte göra.
    – Drinking corrosive acid is unhealthy. – Yeah, it's best not to do so. ("Yeah, that ought one preferably not do")

Usage notes edit

Can also be analyzed as "most preferably" in (sense 2), which is closer to the native intuition: "The most preferred thing is to not drink corrosive acid." That meaning is equivalent to "preferably" though.

Derived terms edit

See also edit

Further reading edit