helst

From Old Norse helzt.

• IPA^(key): /hɛlst/, [hɛlˀsd̥]

helst

1. superlative degree of gerne (“willingly”)

From Old Norse helzt.

helst

1. superlative degree of gjarna (“willingly”)

   Þetta vildi ég helst ekki.

   I didn't really want that.

• helst ekki

From Old Norse helzt.

helst

1. superlative degree of gjerne (“willingly”)

From Old Norse helzt.

• IPA^(key): /hɛlst/

helst

1. superlative degree of gjerne

helst

1. past participle of helsa

• “helst” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

From Old Norse helzt.

• Audio:

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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

3. 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")

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.

• hellre

• helst in Svensk ordbok.