Tb(2-FBA)3·2H2O and Tb(2-FBA)3phen were synthesized using o-fluoro-benzoic acid (2-FBA) as the first ligand, and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) as the second ligand. Elemental analysis and IR spectra were employed to characterize the molecular composition of the two kinds of lanthanide complexes. The UV absorption spectra with same concentration show that the second ligand phen of Tb(2-FBA)3phen absorbs the portion of the UV light instead of the first ligand 2-FBA. Liquid fluorescence spectra with same concentration show that the fluorescence intensity of Tb(2-FBA)3·2H2O is higher than that of Tb(2-FBA)3phen. The analytical results show that the energy level of 2-FBA matches the lowest excited state energy level of Tb3+ (5D4) better than that of phen. The O—H oscillation of the crystal water in Tb(2-FBA)3·2H2O will greatly consume the absorbed energy by ligands, and cause the fluorescence intensity of Tb(2-FBA)3·2H2O significantly decline. The energy level of triplet state of the first ligand 2-FBA corresponding to the absorption peak 273 nm has poor matching degree with the 5D4 energy level of Tb3+. In this case, the emission intensity of Tb(2-FBA)3·2H2O is still stronger than that of Tb(2-FBA)3phen. It illustrates that the energy level of the triplet state of the first ligand 2-FBA corresponding to 252 nm has much better matching degree with the lowest excited state of 5D4 energy level of Tb3+ than that of phen. It is the only way to compensate for energy loss by thermal vibration of water molecules and low energy transfer efficiency for poor matching degree between the energy level of corresponding to 273 nm of the first ligand 2-FBA and 5D4 energy level of Tb3+. By combining UV absorption spectra with fluorescence spectra of lanthanide complexes to qualitatively analyze energy level of ligands, the contribution of different types of ligands to the fluorescence properties can be preliminarily understood.