Manlig

Manlig is an adjective in Swedish that denotes qualities or attributes associated with men or the masculine gender. It is used to describe nouns related to male sex or male characteristics and forms part of a broader gendered adjective system, with its opposite being kvinnlig (feminine). In practice, manlig can describe people, roles, or objects linked to men, as in en manlig läkare or ett manligt barn.

Grammar and inflection: Swedish adjectives agree with the gender and number of the noun they modify. The base form is manlig; the neuter form is manligt, and the plural form is manliga. Examples include en manlig lärare (a male teacher), ett manligt barn (a male child), and manliga lärare (male teachers). This inflection pattern mirrors other adjectives in Swedish that end in -lig.

Etymology and usage context: Manlig derives from an older root related to the concept of man or humanity, combined with the suffix -lig meaning “having the nature of.” It has cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as Danish mandlig and Norwegian mannlig. In modern usage, manlig appears in biological, demographic, and social discussions to specify male gender or male-associated traits, and it is commonly paired with kvinnlig to contrast masculine and feminine forms.

See also: kvinnlig, kön, gender (in linguistic and social contexts).