gubbe

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Unknown, but some believe it to be a shortening of the word godbonde ("good-farmer"), also thought to be borrowed directly from Swedish gubbe. Probably akin to the Nynorsk verb guve ("to stand crouching") which is from Old Norse gaupn ("something bent").

Noun

gubbe m (definite singular gubben, indefinite plural gubber, definite plural gubbene)

1. An old man, geezer, husband, man of the house (lovingly or derogatory)

   En hvithåret gubbe gikk forbi.

   A white-haired old man walked by.

   Jeg skal spørre gubben

   I'll ask the man of the house.

   Hva er det den gamle gubben vil nå, da?

   What does the old geezer want now?

2. A stick of dynamite

   Noen kasta gubber mot butikken min!

   Someone threw dynamite sticks at my store!

Synonyms

• (old man): gamling, gråskjegg, knark, metusalem, olding

References

• “gubbe” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

As for Bokmål above.

Noun

gubbe m (definite singular gubben, indefinite plural gubbar, definite plural gubbane)

1. An old man, geezer, husband, man of the house (lovingly or derogatory)

   Ein kvithåra gubbe gjekk forbi.

   A white-haired old man walked by.

   Eg skal spørja gubben

   I'll ask the man of the house.

   Kva er det den gamle gubben vil no, då?

   What does the old geezer want now?

2. A stick of dynamite

   Nokon kasta gubbar mot butikken min!

   Someone threw dynamite sticks at my store!

Synonyms

• (old man): gamling, gråskjegg, knark, metusalem, olding

References

• “gubbe” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

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Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɵˌbɛ/

Noun

gubbe c

1. an old or elderly man (can be derogatory)

   Gå rakt fram, mot gubbarna där borta.

   Go straight up to those old men over there.

2. one's husband

   Jag gick till teatern med min gubbe.

   I went to the theatre with my husband.

3. (dialectal) little lump

Declension

Declension of gubbe
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	gubbe	gubben	gubbar	gubbarna
Genitive	gubbes	gubbens	gubbars	gubbarnas