oprigtige

Oprigtige is a Danish adjective meaning sincere, heartfelt, or earnest. It describes feelings, motives, or statements that are genuine and without pretense. The related noun form is oprigtighed, which denotes sincerity.

The word is a native Danish term and has cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian oppriktig/oppriktige and Swedish uppriktig/uppriktiga, reflecting a common Germanic heritage. The form oprigtige appears in standard Danish grammar as the plural or definite inflection of the adjective, used to modify nouns like mennesker or smil.

In usage, oprigtige is common in both everyday speech and formal written Danish. It conveys a sense of emotional honesty and warmth beyond mere factual truthfulness. It is frequently deployed to characterize motives, expressions, or gestures as genuine. Examples include phrases such as et oprigtigt smil (a sincere smile) or en oprigtig erklæring (a sincere statement). The adverbial form is oprigtigt, as in talte oprigtigt (spoke sincerely).

Distinctions from related terms exist. While ærlig also translates as honest, oprigtig emphasizes inner sincerity and earnestness rather than simple accuracy or integrity. Oprigtighed is the corresponding noun for the quality of sincerity, and the adverbial form is used to describe actions performed with sincerity.

In cross-linguistic contexts, oprigtig is closely related to the Norwegian oppriktig and the Swedish uppriktig, underscoring shared cultural concepts of genuineness across the Nordic region.