Have you ever heard someone say, “Let’s meet at 6ish?”
Or describe something as “good-ish” or “okay-ish”? If so, you’ve encountered one of the most flexible and commonly used words in English: -ish.
English is full of little quirks that make it both fascinating and challenging. One of those quirks is the suffix "-ish."
A student recently asked me why a native speaker had said, "Can you meet at 1ish?" This got me thinking about the many ways we use "-ish" in everyday conversation, and how confusing it can be for learners to understand.
It doesn’t always follow strict grammar rules, but it’s a flexible and useful part of spoken English. In general, "-ish" means ‘roughly,’ ‘approximately,’ or ‘somewhat.’ The best way to understand how to use it is to look at real-life examples.
What Is a Suffix?
A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning. Common suffixes in English include:
-er (to indicate a person who does something, e.g., teach → teacher)
-able (to mean ‘capable of,’ e.g., understand → understandable)
-ness (to turn adjectives into nouns, e.g., happy → happiness)
-less (to mean ‘without,’ e.g., hope → hopeless)
However, some suffixes are more flexible and can be tricky to understand. "-ish" is one of these. While it has some predictable uses, native speakers also use it in creative ways that don’t always follow set rules.
Let’s explore some of the key uses of -ish:
1. "-ish" and Nationalities
One of the most common and easy-to-understand uses of "-ish" is when it is added to a noun to create an adjective, particularly with nationalities. It gives a sense of belonging to a country or region.
Examples:
Britain → British (a person from Britain or related to Britain)
Spain → Spanish (a person from Spain or related to Spain)
Denmark → Danish (a person from Denmark or related to Denmark)
❌ Important note - it doesn’t work for all countries (e.g. France → French, not Frenchish).
2. Using "-ish" and Time
When it comes to arranging a meeting with friends or talking about the time informally,
"-ish" is a useful way to create flexibility.
Examples:
"Can you meet at 1ish?" (around 1 o’clock, not exactly)
"Let’s have lunch at 12ish." (around 12 but not precisely)
"I’ll be there at 6ish, maybe a little later." (approximately 6 o’clock)
Avoid using "-ish" when arranging important business meetings or formal appointments. In professional or formal situations, using "-ish" can make you sound disorganised or vague, so it’s best avoided in those contexts.
❌ “The interview is at 3ish.” (Sounds unprofessional)
✅ “The interview is at 3 p.m.” (Clear and professional)
A word of caution - If you are a punctual person and expect to meet somebody at an exact time, don't use ish. The person you're meeting will assume there's some flexibility with the timing.
3. "-ish" and Describing Behaviours and Personality
Another common way to use "-ish" is to add it to adjectives to describe personality traits or behaviours. It usually means ‘somewhat like’ or ‘having the characteristics of.’
Examples:
"He’s a bit foolish sometimes." (He acts in a silly way)
"She always dresses in a very stylish way." (She has a fashionable style)
"Stop being so babyish!" (Acting in a childish way)
4. "-ish" and Age: A Polite Way to Be Vague
Using "-ish" with age allows you to give an approximate number. This is especially useful when you don’t know someone’s exact age or want to be polite.
Examples:
"How old is she?" "I think she’s about fiftyish." (Around 50 years old)
"He looks thirtyish to me." (Around 30 years old)
This is particularly useful when you don’t want to offend someone or when exact details aren’t necessary. Saying "She's around 50ish" sounds softer and less direct than saying "She's 52."
5. "-ish" and Prepositions
In casual speech, "-ish" is often used with prepositions like "near," "close," or "around" to give an approximate idea of location or distance.
Examples:
"Is the station close to our hotel?" → "Nearish—it’s about a 10-minute walk."
"Where in London do you live?" → "Central-ish." (Somewhere close to the middle of London)
"Is the shop far?" → "Far-ish, maybe a 20-minute drive."
This can be really handy when you aren’t sure of the exact position or distance but want to give a rough idea.
6. -ish and Experiences: How Good Was It?
Another fun way to use -ish is when giving opinions about experiences. It allows you to express mixed feelings when something isn’t good or bad.
For example:
“How was the meal?” → “Good-ish. The food was great, but the service was slow.”
“Did you enjoy the film?” → “Ish. I loved the main character, and the soundtrack was fab, but the plot was a bit far-fetched.”
“How was your holiday?” → “Nice-ish. The hotel was lovely, but the weather was terrible.”
This use of -ish is common in casual conversations and allows you to give a balanced answer rather than a simple "yes" or "no."
A word of caution – native speakers often use -ish in this context to mean that something wasn’t as good as they expected!
Imagine an English friend recommends their favourite restaurant, and you didn’t enjoy the meal as much as they did. You might not want to offend them, or hurt their feelings so you should choose your words carefully when talking about the experience. If you use good-ish in this context, they will assume that something is wrong.
The point of language that makes you sound natural, is that it is very context specific. If you are not completely sure about the meaning, positive or negative connotations, or appropriateness then don’t use it. It will have the opposite effect of the one that you are trying to create.
Final Thoughts
"-ish" is a fantastic tool for giving a rough idea of time, location, age, or characteristics. It makes English sound more natural and conversational, which is why native speakers use it all the time. However, it’s best to avoid it in formal situations to maintain clarity and professionalism.
Next time you hear a native speaker say something like "Let’s meet at 7ish," you’ll know they mean "around 7 o’clock."
And now that you understand how flexible "-ish" is, why not try using it yourself? You might find it makes your English sound more natural… ish!
Which "-ish" phrase will you try first?
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Your Author: Zoe Ford
Zoe is a CELTA-qualified EFL teacher and Ex-Director of Studies at a prestigious private language school in London. She has been teaching English to adults for over 10 years and has helped hundreds of students to reach their learning goals.
When Zoe isn't teaching you can find her experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen. Most of the time, they work out well-ish. She also loves sport, travelling, and sharing her passion for learning with others.
