passlig

Passlig is an adjective used in Swedish and Norwegian to describe something that is fitting, appropriate, or adequate for a given purpose. It conveys that a choice or quantity is suitable without being excessive, and it can refer to time, size, amount, or circumstances. The term is more common in Norwegian; in Swedish it is slightly formal or old-fashioned, with more frequent alternatives such as lämplig or passande.

Etymology and cognates: Passlig derives from the verb passa, meaning to fit or suit, plus the common Scandinavian adjectival suffix -lig. Related forms appear as Danish passelig and Norwegian passelig, and Swedish passlig is the historical cognate. The core idea across the languages is “fitting” or “suiting” a context.

Usage and nuance: Passlig is used before nouns to indicate suitability. Examples include en passlig storlek (a suitable size) or ett passeligt tidspunkt (a fitting time). It can also describe a solution, amount, or pace that is appropriate for a situation. Because it can be somewhat formal, many speakers prefer synonyms like lämplig or passande in contemporary Swedish.

Grammatical notes: In Swedish, the adjective agrees with noun gender and number: en passlig tid, två passliga tider, ett passligt ord. In Norwegian Bokmål, the form is passelig and agrees similarly (en passelig størrelse, et passelig tidspunkt), with the definite form den passelige størrelsen, det passelige tidspunktet, etc.

See also: lämplig, passande, passelig (Danish/Norwegian usage). Passlig primarily functions as a descriptive term for suitability in everyday or formal contexts.