grälet

Grälet is a Swedish noun meaning a quarrel or argument between people. It describes a heated exchange in which participants disagree and may raise their voices. A gräla can be a brief dispute or part of a longer disagreement, and it can occur in family life, among friends, at work, or in public settings.

In standard Swedish, the indefinite singular form is gräl and the definite singular form is grälet. The related verb gräla means to quarrel, and its noun form gräl/grälet is used to refer to the act or instance of quarrelling.

Usage and nuance: Gräla typically implies a verbal confrontation and possible escalation, rather than a purely physical fight. It can range from a small, everyday disagreement to a more serious dispute about values, decisions, or personal boundaries. Phrases commonly used include gräla med någon (to quarrel with someone) and gräla om något (to quarrel about something). It is often distinguished from synonyms such as bråk (which can imply a broader dispute, sometimes including physical aspects) and konflikt or tvist (more formal or long-running).

Origins and relation to language: Grälet is derived from the verb gräla, and shares roots with other Germanic languages’ terms for arguing. It remains a common, neutral term in everyday Swedish, suitable for descriptive writing, journalism, and literature when referring to interpersonal disputes.

See also: gräl, gräla, bråk, konflikt, tvist. A related concept is gråt (crying), which is etymologically distinct and refers to crying rather than arguing.