lijep

Lijep is an adjective used in Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian (in ijekavian varieties the form lijep; in many Serbian dialects the ekavian form lep is common) meaning beautiful, pretty, or attractive. It describes people, places, objects, or experiences and is widely used in everyday speech as well as in literature. Examples include lijep dan (a beautiful day), lijepa kuća (a beautiful house), and lijep čovjek (a handsome man). The adverb form is lijepo, as in govori lijepo (speaks nicely). The adjective can also convey a general sense of pleasantness, as in to je lijepa ideja (that’s a nice idea).

Etymology and variants: lijep derives from Proto-Slavic *ljepъ and is related to words for beauty in related languages. In Croatian and Bosnian standard varieties, the base form is lijep, with feminine lijepa and neuter lijepo, and it inflects for number (singular/plural) and gender. In Serbian, the ekavian variant lep/lepа/lepo is common in many dialects, with the same functional use as lijep in ijekavian varieties. The comparative forms are ljepši (or lepši in ekavian), and the superlative is najljepši (najlepši).

Usage notes: lijep functions as a predicate adjective in sentences such as Grad je lijep (The city is beautiful) and can precede or follow the noun it modifies. It is frequently used in descriptive, evaluative, and idiomatic expressions across the South Slavic languages.

See also: ljepota (beauty); lijepše (better, more beautiful; comparative).