venligt

Venligt is a Danish word that functions as both an adjective and an adverb, meaning friendly or kind. As an adjective it describes people, behavior, or things as pleasant or courteous; as an adverb it denotes acting in a friendly or kind manner, often translated as "kindly" in English.

Etymology and forms: Venligt derives from venlig, the base form meaning friendly. The adverbial form is created by adding the suffix -t, which is common in Danish for adverbs related to adjectives. The related noun venlighed means kindness or friendliness, and venlige serves as the plural or definite form of the adjective.

Usage: Venligt is used in everyday speech to describe actions or attitudes. Examples include: Han svarede venligt. (He answered kindly.) Hun hilste venligt. (She greeted us kindly.) De behandlede kunden venligt. (They treated the customer in a friendly manner.) In formal written Danish, venligst is often preferred for requests, meaning “please,” as in Venligst luk døren. The phrase i venligt selskab can describe being in pleasant company.

Related terms: Venlig is the base adjective meaning friendly; venlighed is the noun form meaning kindness or friendliness; venlige is the plural or attributive form. The pair venligt/venlig is commonly used to convey tone and demeanor in both social and professional contexts.

See also: Venlighed, venlige, venligst.