lahko and lako

Level 3

Lahko and lako mean easily or light, mehko and meko mean softly. Neither form is wrong.

How It Works

Bosnian spelling traditionally keeps an h in a few words, where some other standards do not. The 2017 and 2018 spelling guide is reported to accept the forms without h too, because people say them.

With hWithout hMeaning
lahkolakoeasily, light
mehkomekosoftly
polahkopolakoslowly
lahaklakeasy (adjective)

Neither column is a mistake. A Bosnian text may use either one, and many speakers use both in one day.

The same thing happens with the word for coffee. You will meet kafa and kahva, and both are fine; the course uses kafa in examples.

A good habit is to recognise both and pick one for your own writing. Use the same one in a whole text.

Examples (5)

  1. Ovaj zadatak je lahak.

    This task is easy.

    Lahak is the form with h.

  2. Ovaj zadatak je lak.

    This task is easy.

    Lak is the same word without h.

  3. Jastuk je mehak.

    The pillow is soft.

    Mehak is the form with h.

  4. Jastuk je mek.

    The pillow is soft.

    Mek is the same word without h.

  5. Polako, molim te.

    Slowly, please.

    Polako is what many people say.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

lahko and lakoLevel 3

Learn This First

Two spellings of one word.

Words in This Pattern

lahkolakomehkolakmek