råda is a small but slippery verb. It means "to advise" (to give someone a recommendation), and — in a quite different sense — "to prevail, to reign, to obtain" (used impersonally: Det råder tystnad, "there is silence / silence reigns"). On top of the double meaning, it is irregular: the past is rådde and the supine is rått, not the -ade/-at you would expect from a verb in -a. Learn it as its own small package.
Principal parts
| Infinitive | Present | Preteritum (past) | Supine | Imperative | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| råda | råder | rådde | rått | råd | Irregular |
Note three irregularities at once. The present is råder (an -er ending, not the -ar of a Group 1 verb). The past is rådde — a doubled d plus bare -e, not rådade. And the supine is rått — short, with no -t stem visible and certainly no -at. So the perfect is har rått. A learner who guesses rådade / rådat will be wrong on both counts; these forms simply have to be memorised.
Use 1: råda någon att — advise someone to do something
The "advise" sense most often appears as råda någon att + infinitive — "advise someone to do something." The person advised is a direct object; the recommended action follows with att + infinitive.
Jag råder dig att vänta tills imorgon.
I advise you to wait until tomorrow. råda någon (dig) att + infinitive — the core 'advise' pattern.
Läkaren rådde honom att sluta röka.
The doctor advised him to stop smoking. rådde — the irregular past, not *rådade.
Vad råder du mig att göra?
What do you advise me to do? Present råder + person + att + infinitive.
De har avrått oss från att resa dit.
They've advised us against going there. The prefixed avråda (från) is the 'advise against' counterpart — same irregular supine: avrått.
Use 2: Det råder — prevail, reign, there is
In its second life råda is impersonal. With the dummy subject det, Det råder X describes a state that holds over a situation — a silence, an agreement, a mood, a shortage. English usually translates this with "there is," "prevails," or "reigns." This use is very common in news and formal description.
Det råder tystnad i rummet.
There is silence in the room / silence reigns in the room. Impersonal Det råder + noun.
Det råder enighet om förslaget.
There is agreement on the proposal. A staple of news Swedish — Det råder enighet.
Det rådde en spänd stämning på mötet.
A tense atmosphere prevailed at the meeting. rådde — irregular past in the impersonal sense too.
Det har länge rått brist på sjuksköterskor. (formal)
There has long been a shortage of nurses. (formal) har rått — the irregular supine in the perfect.
The noun ett råd, and råda bot på
The related noun is ett råd — "a piece of advice." You ge ett råd ("give a piece of advice") and ask for goda råd ("good advice"). Note that, unlike English "advice," Swedish råd is countable: ett råd, två råd. A fixed expression worth knowing is råda bot på något — "to remedy / put right something."
Får jag ge dig ett råd?
May I give you a piece of advice? The countable noun ett råd — Swedish counts advice.
Vi måste råda bot på problemet snabbt.
We must remedy the problem quickly. The fixed idiom råda bot på = 'remedy'.
Common Mistakes
❌ Läkaren rådade honom att vila.
Incorrect — råda is irregular. The past is rådde, not *rådade.
✅ Läkaren rådde honom att vila.
The doctor advised him to rest.
❌ Jag har rådat dig att vänta.
Incorrect — the supine is the irregular rått, so the perfect is har rått, not *har rådat.
✅ Jag har rått dig att vänta.
I have advised you to wait.
❌ Jag rådar dig att gå.
Incorrect — the present is råder (-er), not *rådar. råda does not follow the Group 1 -ar pattern.
✅ Jag råder dig att gå.
I advise you to go.
❌ Det råder en tystnad och alla väntade.
Awkward tense mix — for a past scene use the past: Det rådde tystnad. Present Det råder describes a state holding now.
✅ Det rådde tystnad och alla väntade.
Silence reigned and everyone waited.
❌ Jag vill ge dig en advice.
Incorrect — the Swedish noun is ett råd, and it's countable: ge ett råd.
✅ Jag vill ge dig ett råd.
I want to give you a piece of advice.
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Start learning Swedish→Related Topics
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