märkligt

Märkligt is a Swedish adverb meaning “remarkably” or “strangely.” It is used to indicate that something stands out, is unusual, or provokes surprise. The sense can be neutral or carry a subtle judgement depending on context. Märkligt often modifies verbs or adjectives, but it can also refer to an entire clause, as in märkligt nog.

Etymology and form: Märkligt derives from the adjective märklig, meaning notable or remarkable. In standard Swedish, the adverbial form is created by adding the suffix -t to the adjective, giving märkligt. The related noun is märklighet, meaning oddity or significance.

Usage notes: Märkligt can express both positive and negative surprise. It commonly appears with verbs such as vara (to be) or hända (to happen): “Det var märkligt att se” or “Det hände på ett märkligt sätt.” A frequent collocation is märkligt nog, meaning “oddly enough.” When describing degree, forms of märklig as an adjective exist, such as märkligare (comparative) and märkligast (superlative).

Examples: “Det var märkligt att se.” “Märkligt nog visste ingen vad som hänt.” “Hon såg märkligt lugn ut.” These illustrate the adverbial use to convey oddness or noteworthy peculiarity, as well as the expression märkligt nog for surprising or ironic turns of events.