-vis

Adverb Suffix -vis

Level 4

The suffix -vis turns nouns and adjectives into adverbs or adjectives. It is similar to the English suffix -wise (as in clockwise) or -ly (as in luckily).

How It Works

The suffix -vis is a versatile tool for modifying meaning and framing context.

1. Sentence Adverbs (Modal Adverbs)
These modify the entire statement. Common examples include heldigvis (luckily), muligvis (possibly), and sandsynligvis (probably). Important: These 'pure' modal adverbs are indeclinable; they never take a -t suffix and cannot function as adjectives.

2. Manner, Degree, and Distribution
These describe the process, extent, or grouping of an action:

Manner/Degree: gradvis (gradually), delvis (partially).
Distributive/Order: parvis (in pairs), skiftevis (alternately).
Numerical: hundredvis (hundreds), tusindvis (thousands) - used to show large, approximate quantities.

3. Morphology and the Linking -s-
When attaching to nouns, an interfix -s- is often required, similar to compound linking elements. For example, forhold (relation) becomes forholdsvis (relatively).

4. Adverb vs. Adjective Agreement
Some -vis words (like delvis or gradvis) can function as adjectives. While they often follow adjective agreement, the -t ending for neuter nouns is optional. You can say both et delvist svar and et delvis svar (a partial answer).

Examples (5)

Heldigvis kom ingen til skade ved uheldet.
Luckily, no one was hurt in the accident.
Word by Word: Luckily came no-one to harm by the-accident.
'Heldigvis' is a sentence adverb expressing the speaker's relief. As a pure modal adverb, it never takes a -t ending.
Gæsterne ankom parvis til brylluppet.
The guests arrived in pairs at the wedding.
Word by Word: The-guests arrived pair-wise to the-wedding.
'Parvis' is a distributive use of the suffix, indicating that the guests were grouped in pairs.
Der var hundredvis af mennesker på gaden.
There were hundreds of people in the street.
Word by Word: There were hundred-wise of people on the-street.
When attached to numbers, -vis indicates a large, approximate amount.
Projektet er kun delvist færdigt.
The project is only partially finished.
Word by Word: The-project is only partially finished.
In this case, 'delvist' functions as an adverb. Note that for the neuter adjective form, the -t is optional (et delvist/delvis svar).
De arbejder skiftevis i weekenden.
They work alternately during the weekend.
Word by Word: They work shift-wise in the-weekend.
'Skiftevis' describes the order or sequence of the action.

Common Mistakes

Adding a -t to sentence adverbs like 'heldigvis'.
Heldigvist regner det ikke.
Heldigvis regner det ikke.
Sentence adverbs (expressing attitude or probability) never take the neuter -t ending. They are indeclinable.
Missing the linking -s- in specific words.
Det er forholdvis nemt.
Det er forholdsvis nemt.
Some words derived from nouns require an -s- before the suffix. 'Forholdsvis' is the most common example.
Confusing the suffix -vis with the particle 'vist'.
Han er her mulig vist.
Han er her muligvis.
'Vist' is a standalone modal particle meaning 'presumably,' while '-vis' is a suffix that must be attached to a base word.

How It Connects

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

-visLevel 4Adverb Suffix -vis

Learn This First

The suffix -vis is used to derive adverbs from adjectives or nouns. To understand its use, learners should already be familiar with basic adjective forms and the standard way of creating adverbs using the -t suffix. Additionally, because many -vis adverbs function as sentence modifiers (like 'luckily' or 'possibly'), knowledge of Danish V2 word order is essential for placing them correctly in a sentence.

Words in This Pattern