klippa

Faroese

Verb

klippa (third person singular past indicative klipti, third person plural past indicative kliptu, supine klipt)

1. to clip, to cut (hair)

Conjugation

Icelandic

Verb

klippa (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative klippti, supine klippt)

1. to cut, to clip
2. to shear
3. to cut, to edit (a film)

Conjugation

Related terms

• klipping
• klippur

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• klippet
• klipte (simple past)
• klipt (past participle)

Verb

klippa

1. inflection of klippe:
   1. simple past
   2. past participle

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From Old Norse klippa and klyppa.

Verb

klippa (present tense klipper, past tense klipte, past participle klipt, passive infinitive klippast, present participle klippande, imperative klipp)

1. Alternative form of klippe

Etymology 2

Through Norwegian Bokmål from Middle Low German.

Noun

klippa f (definite singular klippa, indefinite plural klipper or klippor, definite plural klippene or klippone)

1. (pre-2012) alternative form of klippe
2. definite singular of klippe

References

• “klippa” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old Norse

Alternative forms

• klyppa

Etymology

Unknown, it could be onomatopoetic. May be akin to Old English clyppan and modern English clip.

Verb

klippa (singular past indicative klipta, plural past indicative kliptu, past participle kliptr)

1. (transitive) to clip, cut
2. (about sheep) shear

Conjugation

Descendants

Listed are also forms derived from klyppa.

References

• “klippa”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Swedish

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

Etymology 1

Noun

klippa c

1. a cliff, a rock (a cliff, or a rock formation with a cliff or cliffs (a steep rock formation, put differently) – compare how "up on the cliff" makes sense for not being on the actual cliff in English)

   Synonym: (when viewed as a drop) stup

   Segla mot klipporna där borta

   Sail towards the rocks over there

   en brant klippa

   a steep cliff/rock (depending on context – describes both images)

2. bedrock

   Synonym: berggrund

3. (figuratively) a rock (something strong, stable, and dependable – usually a person)

   Synonym: dykdalb

   Han är en klippa som alltid hjälper till när det är problem

   He is a rock who always helps out when there's problems

   Så säger ock jag dig att du är Petrus; och på denna klippa skall jag bygga min församling

   And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church (Matthew 16:18)

Declension

Related terms

• bergsklippa

See also

• rauk

Etymology 2

From Old Norse klippa, klyppa.

Verb

klippa (present klipper, preterite klippte, supine klippt, imperative klipp)

1. to cut with scissors, shears, or the like (cut with two blades or the like in a snipping motion), to clip

   Han klippte av tråden med saxen

   He cut the thread with the scissors

   Hon klippte ut bilden ur tidningen

   She cut the image out of the newspaper

   klippa in en bild i en annan

   insert one image (that has been cut out, with scissors or digitally) into another

   Den här saxen klipper dåligt

   These scissors cut poorly

   1. to cut someone's hair

      Jag klippte henne(s hår)

      I cut her hair (parenthesized part normally redundant)

      klippa pottfrisyr på någon

      give someone a bowl cut

   2. (reflexive) to get a haircut (done by someone else or oneself)

      Jag ska klippa mig imorgon

      I'm getting a haircut tomorrow

      Jag ska klippa pottfrisyr

      I will get a bowl cut / I will give someone a bowl cut (ambiguous, though the first reading is more likely)

   3. to shear (a sheep)

      klippa ett får

      shear a sheep

   4. (figuratively) to cut (connections with someone or the like)

      klippa alla band med någon

      cut all ties with someone

   5. (figuratively) to do a (repeated) scissors-like motion

      Hästen klippte med öronen

      The horse was flicking its ears

      klippa med ögonen

      blink repeatedly

2. (idiomatic) to mow (a lawn), to trim (a hedge), or the like (with any implement)

   Jag klipper gräset

   I'm mowing the lawn

3. to cut (cease recording activities)
4. (film) to cut (edit a film)

   att klippa en film

   to edit a movie

5. (signal processing) to clip
6. (computer graphics, video games) to clip
7. (colloquial) to kill

   Klipp honom!

   Kill him!

8. (in "vara klippt") to no longer be any chance for a good outcome

   Får vakterna syn på oss så är det klippt

   If the guards spot us, it's over

Usage notes

• Klippa is the usual verb for cutting with scissors or shears. Using skära with scissors or shears implies one of the blades is being used like a knife.
• Klippa is also used when cutting hair with a hair clipper or the like.

Conjugation

Related terms

• klipp
• klippa till
• klippare
• klippning
• klipsk

See also

• knipsa (“snip”)
• skära (“cut with a knife or the like”)
• snagga (“close-crop”)

References

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