så

See also: Appendix:Variations of "sa" and Appendix:Variations of "saa"

Danish

Etymology 1

From Old Norse svá, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē, cognate with English so, German so, Dutch zo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɔ/, [ˈsʌ], (with verbs and nouns also) IPA^(key): /ˈsɔːˀ/, [ˈsɔˀ].

Adverb

så

1. so (with adjectives, to the extent (that), often with a following dependent result clause introduced with the conjunction at)
2. as (with adjectives, introducing a comparison, the second member is introduced with the conjunction som)
   • 1835, Hans Christian Andersen, Fyrtøiet:

     Men Hunden, som sidder paa Pengekisten, har her to Øine, hvert saa stort som Rundetaarn.

     But the dog that sits on the money chest has two eyes, each as big as Rundetaarn.

3. (dated) so, like that (with verbs)
   • 1876, Holger Drachmann, En overkomplet‎^[1], page 172:

     Men det var nok ikke saa.

     But it probably wasn't like that.

   • Children's song, unknown origin

     Han sagde så og spurgte så: | "Og hvor har du så hjemme?"

     He said so and asked so: "So, where are you from?"

   Synonyms: således, sådan

4. then, next (adverb of time, temporal sequence)

   Synonyms: derefter, derpå, herefter, herpå

5. then, consequently (adverb of causal sequence)

   Synonyms: af den grund, altså, derfor, følgelig, således

References

• “så,4” in Den Danske Ordbog

Conjunction

så

1. so that (introduces an adverbial clause stating the result)

   Synonyms: at, så at, sådan at, således at

2. so (introducing an independent clause summing up or concluding)

   Synonym: altså

References

• “så,5” in Den Danske Ordbog

Pronoun

så (uninflected)

1. (determiner) such, that (only in fixed phrases: i så fald, i så fald, i så tilfælde, i så henseende)

References

• “så,3” in Den Danske Ordbog

Interjection

så

1. now, now, come (reassuring, comforting or admonishing)

References

• “så,1” in Den Danske Ordbog

Etymology 2

From Old Norse sá, from Proto-Germanic *sēaną, cognate with English sow, German säen. The Germanic verb goes back to Proto-Indo-European *seh₁-, which is also the source of Latin serō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɔːˀ/, [sɔˀ]

Verb

så (past tense såede, past participle sået)

1. sow

Conjugation

Conjugation of så

active passive present sår såes past såede såedes infinitive så såes imperative så — participle present sående past sået (auxiliary verb have) gerund såen

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɔːˀ/, [sɔˀ]

Verb

så

1. past tense of se

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse svá, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /soː/, /sɔ/

Adverb

så

1. so
2. as

   så hvit som et laken - as white as a sheet

Conjunction

så

1. so

Derived terms

• likeså
• og så videre
• så langt
• så langt, så godt
• så å si
• såkalt
• således

Etymology 2

From Old Norse sá, from Proto-Germanic *sēaną, from Proto-Indo-European *seh₁-.

Verb

så (imperative så, present tense sår, passive sås or såes, simple past sådde, past participle sådd)

1. to sow (scatter, disperse, or plant seeds)

Etymology 3

Verb

så

1. simple past of se

References

• “så” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• saa (all senses, obsolete spelling)
• so (not the verb sense)
• sø (not the verb sense, dialectal)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /soː/

Etymology 1

From Old Norse svá, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē. Akin to English so.

Adverb

så

1. so

   Dei seier så.

   So they say.

2. that

   Eg visste ikkje at dei skulle vera så mange.

   I didn't know that they were going to be that many.

3. as

   Så vidt eg veit.

   As far as I know.

4. then

   Eg gjekk på kino. Så gjekk eg heim.

   I went to the movies. Then I went home.

Derived terms

• så eller så
• så langt
• så langt, så godt
• så og så
• såleis

Conjunction

så

1. so that

   Eg barberte meg så ho skulle synast eg var fin.

   I shaved so that she would think I looked nice.

Interjection

så

1. used (often with reduplication) to comfort or calm
2. used (often with reduplication) to admonish
3. used after an indicative sentence to intensify

   Eg er så liten, så! ― I'm so tiny!

Derived terms

• såså

Pronoun

så

1. (dialectal, relative) which
   • c. 1700, Sigurd Kolsrud, quoting Jacob Rasch, “Eldste nynorske bibeltekst: Jacob Rasch c. 1700”, in Syn og Segn, volume 56, published 1950, page 110:

     Podl, Jesu Christi tenar, saa va kadlæ te a væra senningsbu

     Paul, servant of Jesus Christ, which was called to be apostle.

Etymology 2

From Old Norse sá, from Proto-Germanic *sēaną, from Proto-Indo-European root *seh₁-.

Verb

så (present tense sår, past tense sådde, supine sådd or sått, past participle sådd, present participle såande, imperative så)

1. to sow (scatter, disperse, or plant seeds)

Etymology 3

From Old Norse sáð.

Noun

så f (definite singular såa, indefinite plural såer, definite plural såene)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Etymology 4

From Old Norse sár.

Noun

så m (definite singular såen, indefinite plural såar, definite plural såane)

1. a large wooden cask

References

• “så” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
• “så”, in Norsk Ordbok: ordbok over det norske folkemålet og det nynorske skriftmålet, Oslo: Samlaget, 1950-2016

Swedish

Alternative forms

• ſå (archaic)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /soː/, [s̪oə̯]

• Audio (Gotland):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -oː

Etymology 1

From Old Norse svá, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē.

Adverb

så

1. so, like that, in such a way

   Är det inte så?

   Isn't it so?

   en så kallad skruvboll

   a so-called curve ball

   Kolla hur jag hoppar och hoppa (så) som jag gör

   Look at how I jump and jump like me ("jump (in such a way) as I do" – the så is redundant)

2. so, alright (to indicate that something is finished)

   Så, maten är klar!

   So, the food is done!

3. so (to such a degree)

   Jag trodde inte den var så stor.

   I didn't think it was so big.

   Den är så stor att den inte får plats.

   It is so big that it doesn't fit.

4. so (after inte (“not”))

   inte så bra

   not so good

5. An optional filler, after for example rätt and ganska – compare "not so" in English.

   ganska/rätt (så) stor

   pretty big

   ganska/rätt (så) liten

   pretty small

6. then (under such circumstances)

   Om man köper pizza så blir man glad

   If you buy pizza, then you become happy

7. so (as a consequence)

   Det regnade, så han blev blöt

   It rained, so he got wet

8. so (before a conclusion)

   Så det kan inte varit han som gjorde det

   So it can't have been him who did it

9. so (very), how (very), what a

   Kaninen är så söt!

   The rabbit is so cute!

   Så roligt!

   How nice!

   Så trevligt att ni kunde komma!

   How nice that you could come!

   Så stor han har blivit!

   He's grown! ("How big he has become!")

   Så tråkigt!

   How sad!

   Så synd!

   What a pity!

10. even (if)

    Om jag så får en miljon så gör jag det inte

    Even if I ("If I so") get a million bucks, I'm not doing it

11. as (when synonymous with so)

    så vitt jag vet

    as/so far as I know

12. (uncommon) then, thereafter

    Synonym: (more common) sedan

    Se först åt vänster, så åt höger.

    First look to the left, then to the right.

Conjunction

så

1. so, that

   Vi måste åka så att vi hinner hem i tid

   We have to go so that we make it home in time

   Stäng av plattan så att inte maten bränns

   Turn off the plate so the food doesn't burn ("så att inte" = "so that not" = "lest," but with a more everyday tone)

   Det regnade, så vi satte oss inomhus

   It rained, so we took a table indoors

3. Optionally appears between an initial adverbial and the principal verb of a sentence (where a comma would go in English). Compare English "then" for grammatical intuition (though the "så" doesn't carry any meaning or connotations). Note that due to V2 word order, the principal verb follows the adverbial, giving a different word order from English.

   Imorgon (så) ska vi äta glass

   Tomorrow, we're going to eat ice cream

   Om ni kommit tidigare (så) hade ni fått mat

   If you had come here earlier, you would've gotten food

   Hade det inte regnat så förbaskat (så) hade vi kunnat gå på en promenad

   If it hadn't been so darn rainy, we could've gone for a walk

   I skogen (så) bodde det en trollkarl

   In the forest, there lived a wizard

Usage notes

Only used for initial adverbials in (sense 2). "Vi ska äta glass imorgon så" is ungrammatical (or means "We're going to eat ice cream tomorrow in such a way").

Pronoun

så

1. such, that

   i så fall

   in that case, if so

Derived terms

• så det så (“so there”)
• så gott som (“almost, as good as”)
• se så (“hey now, come on”)
• si och så
• såhär

Etymology 2

From Old Norse sár, from Proto-Germanic *saihaz.

Noun

så c

1. a tub, especially one for animals to drink from

Declension

Declension of så

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	så	sås
	definite	sån	såns
plural	indefinite	såar	såars
	definite	såarna	såarnas

Etymology 3

From Old Swedish sā, from Old Norse sá, from Proto-Germanic *sēaną, from Proto-Indo-European *seh₁-.

Verb

så (present sår, preterite sådde, supine sått, imperative så)

1. to sow

Conjugation

Conjugation of så (weak)

	active		passive
infinitive	så		sås
supine	sått		såtts
imperative	så		—
imper. plural1	sån		—
	present	past	present	past
indicative	sår	sådde	sås	såddes
ind. plural1	så	sådde	sås	såddes
subjunctive2	så	sådde	sås	såddes
present participle		sående
past participle		sådd

¹ Archaic. ² Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Related terms

• beså
• draksådd
• såningsman
• såningsmaskin
• tunnsådd

References

• så in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• så in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• så in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Anagrams

• ås