Rådet

Rådet is a Swedish noun whose definite form can refer to two related concepts: advice and a governing or consultative body. In everyday language, it denotes a recommendation or guidance offered to help someone decide. In a formal context, rådet designates a council or board—an organized body of people who advise, deliberate, or decide on issues within an organization, a municipality, or another institution.

Grammatically, the word has distinct singular and plural forms. The singular indefinite is ett råd (a piece of advice or a council), the plural is råd (advice or councils), the definite singular is rådet (the advice or the council), and the definite plural is råden (the advices or the councils). The meaning depends on context: the same form can refer to a specific council in a government or organizational setting, or to a specific piece of guidance in everyday speech.

Usage and contexts vary. As advice, rådet appears in phrases describing guidance offered by individuals or professionals, with English equivalents such as advice or guidance. As a council, it is used to refer to a formal body within a municipality, organization, or institution that deliberates and makes decisions. Distinctions are typically clarified by context or by accompanying modifiers (for example, a municipal råd or a youth råd). Rådet has cognates in Danish and Norwegian with similar meanings, underscoring its shared Scandinavian heritage.