allvarliga

Allvarlig is a Swedish adjective meaning serious, grave, or severe. Its plural form used before plural nouns is allvarliga, as in allvarliga skador (serious injuries) or allvarliga konsekvenser (serious consequences). The adjective can appear in predicative position, for example Det är allvarligt (It is serious).

Etymology and related forms: Allvarlig is formed from the noun allvar, meaning seriousness or danger, combined with the suffix -lig to indicate a quality. The word has cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as alvorlig in Norwegian and Danish. The related noun allvar refers to gravity, danger, or severity.

Usage and nuances: Allvarlig is used to describe the degree of seriousness of a situation, condition, or statement. In medical contexts, one speaks of en allvarlig sjukdom (a serious/acute illness). In journalism or public discourse, allvarliga can modify plural subjects like allvarliga följder (serious consequences). The term conveys a sense of potential harm or severity beyond mere importance, which is a nuance sometimes captured by the related word viktig (important) but with stronger connotations of risk or harm. The adverbial form is allvarligt, used to modify verbs or adjectives, as in situationen är allvarligt hotad (the situation is gravely threatened).

See also: allvar (noun), seriousness; Norwegian alvorlig, Danish alvorlig.