Råkade

Råkade is the past tense form of the Swedish verb råka. The word is used to express that something happened by chance or unintentionally, often conveying that the outcome was not planned. It can describe everyday, harmless coincidences as well as misfortunes, depending on context.

Råkade is common in spoken Swedish and is flexible in its use. It can introduce a clause describing an unintended action, as in Jag råkade säga fel namn (I happened to say the wrong name) or Jag råkade glömma nycklarna (I forgot the keys by accident). The phrase att råka ut för is a fixed construction meaning to experience or undergo something, typically something undesirable or unfortunate, e.g., Vi råkade ut för en bilolycka (We experienced a car accident).

Conjugation and grammar: the infinitive is att råka; present tense råkar; past tense råkade; past participle råkat. The perfect tenses are formed with har eller hade: Jag har råkat ut för en liten olycka; Han hade råkat ut för liknande problem. The construction att råka ut för governs the object of experience, often a noun phrase naming the event or situation.

Notes on style: in formal writing, authors may replace råka with more neutral alternatives such as hända av en slump, inträffa av tillfällighet, or uppstå av orsak. Råkade carries a nuance of spontaneity and lack of intent, and is widely understood across Swedish dialects and registers.