rädd
Swedish
[edit]
Etymology
[edit]From Old Swedish rǣdder, from the past participle of Old Swedish rǣþa (“to frighten”), from Old Norse hræða (past participle hræddr), from Proto-Germanic *hrēdijaną.
Pronunciation
[edit]Audio: (file)
Adjective
[edit]rädd (comparative räddare, superlative räddast)
- afraid, scared
- Synonym: (colloquial) skraj
- Jag är rädd för spöken
- I am afraid of ghosts
- Vad är du rädd för?
- What are you afraid of?
- Håll om mig, jag är rädd
- Hold me, I'm scared
- afraid (as an apologetic introduction and the like)
- Jag är rädd att jag inte har tid idag
- I'm afraid I don't have time today
- (followed by om and an object) caring (taking good care of something/someone, striving to avoid harm to something/someone)
- Var rädd om dina fötter. Välj bra löparskor.
- Take care of your feet. Pick good running shoes.
- Hon är rädd om sin bil
- She takes care of her car (strives to avoid harm to her car, which might imply good maintenance, not driving in a hailstorm, etc.)
- Var rädd om dig!
- Take care of yourself! (Don't do anything harmful or dangerous!)
Usage notes
[edit]The neuter form rätt, though considered correct, is extremely rarely used. The usually given recommendation is to rewrite "ett rätt barn" as "ett skrämt (“frightened”) barn."
Declension
[edit]| Inflection of rädd | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative2 |
| Common singular | rädd | räddare | räddast |
| Neuter singular | rätt | räddare | räddast |
| Plural | rädda | räddare | räddast |
| Masculine plural3 | rädde | räddare | räddast |
| Definite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| Masculine singular1 | rädde | räddare | räddaste |
| All | rädda | räddare | räddaste |
| 1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic | |||