uhåndterlige

Uhåndterlige is a Norwegian adjective used to describe something that is difficult or impossible to manage, control, or handle. It is commonly applied to tasks, problems, situations, systems, or data that resist straightforward administration. The form uhåndterlige is the plural form used when the noun it modifies is plural in Bokmål; the base form is uhåndterlig for singular.

Etymology: the word stems from the verb håndtere (to handle) with the negating prefix u- and the suffix -lig that marks adjectives. The prefix indicates negation, while -lig conveys a characteristic. Together they signal a condition that cannot be easily handled. The expression is typically more formal and prevalent in written rather than everyday speech.

Usage: in journalism, policy discussion, business reporting, and administrative language, uhåndterlige characterizes problems or scenarios that are complex, resistant to standard solution approaches, or outside the scope of existing procedures. Examples might refer to uhåndterlige konsekvenser, uhåndterlige regulatoriske krav, or uhåndterlige prosesser, depending on context and tone. The term conveys severity without attributing fault.

Related terms: common paraphrases include vanskelig å håndtere, which communicates the same idea in a more everyday register. The word appears in both Bokmål and Nynorsk without substantive change in meaning. In practice, it highlights complexity and planning challenges within governance, IT, economics, and project management.