röda

Röda is a Swedish adjective form meaning red when describing plural nouns or when used in certain definite constructions. For example, röda bilar means red cars, and röda äpplen means red apples. In definite singular phrases, the same form röda appears after a definite marker, as in den röda bilen (the red car) or de röda bilarna (the red cars). The basic form röd is used for singular indefinite: en röd bil; ett rött hus; röda with plural nouns.

Etymology and cognates: Röda derives from Old Norse rauðr and is cognate with Danish rød and Norwegian rød, all linked to the English red. These forms trace back to Proto-Germanic roots associated with the color red. The Swedish vowel and inflection patterns shown by röda reflect historical sound changes and the language’s system of adjective inflection.

Usage notes: Röda is a standard part of color description in Swedish and appears across everyday speech, writing, and media. It is the plural inflection of röd and is used with plural nouns, as well as in definite plural phrases like de röda bilarna, and with singular definite nouns in forms such as den röda bilen. The word is distinct from other color terms only by its grammatical role and inflection rather than by meaning.