udrikkelig

Udrikkelig is a Norwegian adjective used to describe something that is not drinkable or not suitable to drink. The primary sense concerns liquids that are unsafe to consume because of contamination, spoilage, or impurities. In addition, the word can be used figuratively in informal speech to indicate that something is unacceptable or of poor quality, though the figurative use is less common and context dependent.

Origin and form: The word is formed by adding the negative prefix u- to the adjective drikkelig, which literally means drinkable or fit to drink. Drikkelig itself derives from the verb drikke, “to drink.” The construction mirrors typical Norwegian patterns for negating adjectives with u- (and related variants in dialects).

Usage: Udrikkelig is mainly used in spoken Norwegian and appears in both Bokmål and Nynorsk in informal contexts. In more formal writing, speakers commonly use clearer phrases such as ikke drikkelig or ikke drikkbart to indicate non-drinkability, or they describe the safety or suitability of a liquid with specific terms (for example, forurenset vann, ikke trygt å drikke).

See also: Drikkelig, Ikke drikkelig, Drikkbart.