Folk simply means “people”, but it is used in a great number of ways, and in a great number of words. 

It refers to people in a broader sense, such as in a national sense (det svenska folket – the Swedish people) or to talk about people joined by some sort of characteristic or habit (förr i tiden gick folk i kyrkan varje söndag – in the old days people went to church every Sunday).

Folklig, as you may have guessed if you’re familiar with Swedish grammar, is the adjective form of the noun folk. To be folklig means to be closely related to the people or the general public, but also to reflect the people or to have sprung from the people.

Traditions can for example be folkliga as opposed to religiösa (religious), but also in the sense that they are observed by many people rather than just a few. Even food items, for example, can in theory be folkliga if they’re eaten and appreciated by many, as opposed to a delicacy.

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You often hear the word used to describe a person, usually a public figure, as an ordinary person, in a good way. This means that they are considered to be close to the people or even one of them, even though their status in society in some way sets them apart from the masses.

Counter-intuitively, to be described as folklig you almost have to be seen as extraordinary, in a way. Your neighbour Sven Svensson is definitely much more of an ordinary person than, say, Crown Princess Victoria, but she’s more likely than Sven to be referred to as folklig.

To be described as folklig, however, it is necessary to spend several years demonstrating a down-to-earth, approachable, and to a certain degree humble personality to gain public favour. Once a person has it, they may enjoy huge popularity – they may even become folkkära.

Examples

Sveriges monarki har stort folkligt stöd

The Swedish monarchy enjoys great public support

Hon känns folklig trots att hon är kändis

She feels like one of the people despite being a celebrity

Villa, Volvo, Vovve: The Local’s Word Guide to Swedish Life, written by The Local’s journalists, is available to order. Head to lysforlag.com/vvv to read more about it. It is also possible to buy your copy from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Bokus or Adlibris.