-lig / -ig

-ly vs. -y Adjectives

Level 5

-lig and -ig are suffixes that turn other words into adjectives. Think of -lig as similar to '-ly' or '-able' (e.g., vänlig - friendly) and -ig as similar to '-y' (e.g., solig - sunny).

How It Works

The suffixes -lig and -ig are two of the most common ways to form adjectives in Swedish, usually from nouns. While there's no perfectly strict rule, they have strong tendencies that can help you understand their meaning and usage.

The -lig Suffix
This suffix generally describes a quality, manner, or characteristic. It often corresponds to English suffixes like -ly, -like, or -able.

  • From nouns: It indicates a quality related to the noun. Ex: vän (friend) → vänlig (friendly), fara (danger) → farlig (dangerous), man (man) → manlig (manly).
  • From verbs: It can mean 'possible to' or '-able'. Ex: förstå (understand) → förståelig (understandable, with the longer ending -elig), äta (eat) → ätlig (edible).

The -ig Suffix
This suffix generally describes a state of being, or having a certain substance or characteristic. It's very similar to the English suffix -y.

  • From nouns: It means 'full of', 'having', or 'characterized by' the noun. Ex: sol (sun) → solig (sunny), smuts (dirt) → smutsig (dirty), mod (courage) → modig (brave).

Key Differences & Memorization
While the general tendencies are helpful, the choice between -lig and -ig is often determined by historical convention. For many words, you simply have to learn which suffix is correct. For example, lycklig (happy) and rolig (fun) both use -lig, while tråkig (boring) uses -ig. There is no logical rule to predict this; it's a matter of vocabulary.

All adjectives formed with these suffixes must follow the normal rules for adjective agreement.

Examples (5)

  1. Det är en solig dag idag.

    It is a sunny day today.

    Word by Word: It is a sunny day today.

    solig (sunny) is formed from the noun sol (sun) + -ig, meaning 'characterized by sun'.

  2. Han gav mig ett vänligt leende.

    He gave me a friendly smile.

    Word by Word: He gave me a friendly smile.

    vänligt (friendly) is the neuter form of vänlig, which comes from vän (friend) + -lig. It describes the quality of the smile.

  3. Var försiktig, vägen är isig.

    Be careful, the road is icy.

    Word by Word: Be careful, the road is icy.

    isig (icy) is formed from is (ice) + -ig, meaning 'full of ice'.

  4. Den här boken är oläslig.

    This book is unreadable.

    Word by Word: This here book is unreadable.

    oläslig (unreadable) is formed from the prefix o- + läsa (to read) + -lig. The -lig suffix here gives the meaning of '-able'.

  5. Barnen var smutsiga efter att ha lekt ute.

    The children were dirty after playing outside.

    Word by Word: The children were dirty after to have played out.

    smutsiga is the plural form of smutsig (dirty), which comes from smuts (dirt) + -ig.

Common Mistakes

  • Assuming one suffix can be used when the other is required by convention.

    Det är en vänig hund.
    Det är en vänlig hund.

    The ordinary standard adjective meaning “friendly” is vänlig, from vän (friend). Learn the established suffix with the word rather than freely switching -lig and -ig.

  • Treating orolig as the opposite of the modern meaning of rolig.

    Jag är rolig för provet imorgon.
    Jag är orolig för provet imorgon.

    Rolig normally means “fun” or “funny” today, while orolig means “worried” or “anxious”. Historically, orolig preserves the older meaning of rolig, “calm”: it means “not calm”, not “not funny”. This is a prefix and vocabulary contrast, not a change of adjective suffix.

How It Connects

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

-lig / -igLevel 5-ly vs. -y Adjectives

Learn This First

This comparison explains when to use -lig versus related patterns.