Which one should you use?
While trevlig can mean 'nice' in terms of personality, use snygg if you specifically mean 'nice' in the sense of physical attractiveness. Additionally, if you wish to express approval as an interjection, you might use snyggt to mean 'nice!' or 'well done!' or the slang term najs to mean 'nice' or 'cool'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term najs is a slang loanword from English used to express that something is cool or good. The interjection snyggt is considered informal.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes based on the noun it describes: trevlig is used for singular common gender nouns (en-words), trevligt is used for singular neuter gender nouns (ett-words) and trevliga is used for all plural nouns regardless of gender.
Did you know?
- The Old Norse ancestor of trevlig was þrifligr, which implies a sense of being prosperous or thriving.
- The Swedish word snygg, which avoids the confusion of 'nice', literally translates to 'neat' or 'tidy' in many contexts.
- Using snyggt to mean 'nice' is often a comment on the technical precision or cleanliness of a task, such as a well-executed piece of code or a tidy shelf.
Examples in context
- De där är trevliga.Those are nice.This sentence shows how to use the plural form trevliga of trevlig to describe a group.Tatoeba #1999892 by herrsilen, translation #1898059 by CK
- Ha ett trevligt liv.Have a nice life.This sentence uses trevlig to wish someone a pleasant life.Tatoeba #2021541 by herrsilen, translation #1676609 by BlueLagoon
- Tom är inte trevlig.Tom isn't nice.This sentence uses trevlig to describe a person's personality.Tatoeba #3711675 by herrsilen, translation #3171276 by CK
- Det var trevligt att träffa dig.It was nice to meet you.
- Trevligt att göra affärer med er.Nice doing business with you.
- Vi blev väl mottagna av vänlig personal.We were well received by friendly staff.
- Jag hade det bra på festen.I had a good time at the party.
- Du gjorde det bra på provet.You did well on the test.
- Det ser fint ut här.It looks nice here.
- Vad fint du sjunger!How nicely you sing!
- En trevlig personA nice person
- Ett trevligt husA nice house
- Många trevliga människorMany nice people
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are talking about a new neighbor.
- LucasÄr den nya grannen trevlig?Is the new neighbor nice?
- EmmaJa, hon är väldigt trevlig.Yes, she is very nice.
- LucasVad kul att höra.That is good to hear.
- EmmaVi ska fika med henne snart.We are going to have coffee with her soon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry trevlig, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries trevlig, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
