ganska

Ganska is a Swedish adverb used to express a moderate degree, meaning roughly "quite," "fairly," or "rather." It modifies adjectives, adverbs, or nouns in order to soften or intensify the statement without committing to the strongest degree. Common placements include before the word they modify, as in ganska stor, ganska bra, or ganske ofta when two-word phrases are used, such as quite often.

Usage and nuance

Ganska can be used with adjectives, adverbs, and nouns (often in combinations like ganska mycket or ganska ofta). It signals a middle-ground assessment rather than extremes. For example, det var ganska kallt ute (it was quite cold outside) implies noticeable cold without it being extremely cold. Similarly, jag tycker filmen var ganska bra (I think the film was fairly good). The term can also soften claims in everyday conversation, creating a balanced tone.

Relation to other intensifiers

Väldigt is a stronger degree than ganska, meaning “very” or “extremely.” På svenska, you might choose mellan nivåerna: ganska bra (fairly good) versus väldigt bra (very good). The word kan sometimes be replaced by rätt or nästan in certain contexts, but changings nuance. In negative constructions, speakers often use not so much “ganska” but phrases like inte särskilt or inte så mycket, depending on intent.

Cross-linguistic note

Ganska has cognates in Danish and Norwegian (ganske), with similar meaning and usage, reflecting shared Scandinavian roots. In Swedish, iyi recognized as a versatile, everyday intensifier in both formal and informal contexts.

See also

Intensity words in Swedish, jämföra ord med andra intensitetsord, grammatical placement of adverbs.