rösten

Rösten is a Swedish noun with two primary meanings: voice and vote. In the sense of voice, rösten denotes the sound produced by a person when speaking or singing, as well as the characteristic timbre of a person’s voice. In the political sense, rösten refers to a vote or to ballots cast in an election. The same word is used in phrases such as “lägga sin röst” (to cast one’s vote) and “rösterna räknas” (the votes are counted). The identity of rösten as voice or vote is determined by context.

Grammar and forms are straightforward in Swedish. The indefinite singular form is en röst. The definite singular form is rösten. The indefinite plural form is röster, and the definite plural form is rösterna. This means that rösten can function as the definite form for both senses in a sentence, while the plural forms distinguish number and definiteness.

Usage notes include that rösten as voice is common in everyday and artistic contexts, such as music, broadcasting, or public speaking. Rösten as vote appears in political reporting and discussions of elections, often alongside phrases about voting behavior or election results. The word is closely related to verbs and nouns such as rösta (to vote), röstning (voting), and röstare (voter).

Etymology traces rösten to the base noun röst, which in turn derives from older Germanic roots associated with voice and speech, with the definite form rösten reflecting Swedish noun inflection. See also rösta, röstning, rösträtt.