Blålig

Blålig is a Swedish adjective meaning somewhat blue or bluish. It describes colors or appearances that have a blue tint without being a pure blue. The form is created from blå (blue) with the suffix -lig, which marks a characteristic or tendency. It is commonly used for materials, light, skin tones, and other visual qualities where the blue influence is present but not dominant.

Etymology and grammar: Blålig follows the regular pattern for -lig adjectives in Swedish. It can take different inflections to agree with gender and number: en blålig nyans, ett blåligt ljus, flera blåliga färger. The common base form is blålig; the neuter form is blåligt.

Usage and nuance: Blålig emphasizes a tint rather than a definite color. It is more subdued than blåaktig, which can imply a stronger resemblance to blue. It is less absolute than blått (blue) and more precise than simply saying something is blueish in English.

Examples: You might describe a painting as having a blålig nyans, a bluish tint in the light, or a blålig hudton in certain lighting. The term is common in descriptive writing, design, and conversations about color.

See also: blå, blåhet, blåaktig, related color descriptors in Swedish.