Vennlig

Vennlig is an adjective used in Norwegian (Bokmål and Nynorsk) and Danish to describe people, behavior, or environments that are pleasant, courteous, or amicable. In English it is commonly translated as “friendly” or “kind.” The word is cognate with similar forms in other Scandinavian languages; it is related to the word for “friend” in the language family, and there are parallel terms such as Swedish vänlig and Danish venlig.

Etymology and scope: Vennlig originates from roots meaning friend, combined with a suffix that forms adjectives meaning “characterized by” or “like.” The sense has broadened from specifically friendly to generally agreeable or courteous demeanor.

Usage and inflection: In Norwegian, the adjective agrees with the noun in gender and number. Examples: indefinit singular — en vennlig mann, et vennlig hus; indefinit plural — vennlige menn, vennlige hus; definite forms — den vennlige mannen, de vennlige husene. In Danish, a similar agreement occurs: venlig mand, venlige mennesker; den venlige mand, de venlige menneskene. The adverbial form vennligst exists in both languages and means “please” or “kindly.”

Nuance and register: Vennlig carries a neutral to positive tone, suitable for everyday speech, customer service, signage, and polite conversation. It is not overly formal, though more formal or courteous contexts may favor related terms like vennligs- or venlighed/venlighed for noun forms.

Related terms: The noun forms include vennlighet (Norwegian) or vennlighed/venlighed in Danish for “friendliness.” The antonym is uvennlig, meaning unfriendly. See also related concepts such as vennskap (friendship) and vennegjeng (circle of friends).