Vädja

Vädja is a Swedish verb meaning to plead or beg urgently, often with emotional appeal or in a formal context. It is used when someone makes a strong, earnest request to another person or authority, such as a judge, a teacher, or the public, and implies a sense of necessity or desperation beyond a simple request. The verb can take objects and can be followed by prepositional phrases like till or om.

Conjugation and usage: The present tense is vädjar. The past tense is vädjade, and the past participle (used with har to form perfect tenses) is vädjat. The verb is typically transitive and commonly appears with phrases such as vädja till någon om något (to plead to someone for something) or vädja om nåd (to plead for mercy). Examples: Hon vädjade till chefen om en extra chans. Domaren vädjade om nåd. Hon har vädjat om hjälp.

Nuances and register: Vädja carries a formal, literary, or rhetorical register. It is more solemn and emotionally charged than synonyms like be om, be, or bönfalla, and is less common in everyday casual speech. In contemporary Swedish, vädja is most likely found in news reporting, literature, legal contexts, or rhetorical speech.

Etymology and related terms: The etymology is uncertain, but vädja is generally treated as a Germanic-rooted verb with meanings centered on requesting or appealing. Related, but less forceful, terms include be om and bedja (to beg).

See also: bedja, be om, böna.