sträckan

Sträckan is the definite form of the Swedish noun sträcka, which denotes a stretch, a segment, or a portion of something. The term is used to refer to a continuous part of space or time, such as a portion of a road, railway, river, or a phase of a journey. It is common in transportation, logistics, and everyday language to name a particular stretch, for example sträckan Stockholm–Göteborg, indicating the part of a trip between the two cities. The definite form is used when a specific stretch is being discussed, while en sträcka means any stretch in general.

In practical use, sträckan often appears in contexts related to travel, infrastructure, and planning. It can describe the conditions, challenges, or characteristics of a particular segment of a route, or the distance covered on that section of a journey. The concept helps organize information spatially or temporally by focusing on a defined portion of a larger path.

In mathematics and geometry, sträcka denotes a line segment between two points. For example, en sträcka AB refers to the segment from A to B. The term emphasizes the part of the figure rather than solely its length, though length is closely related and frequently discussed as the sträckas längd or the distance of the segment.

Etymologically, sträcka derives from the verb sträcka, to stretch or extend, reflecting the idea of an extended portion. It is a common, everyday term in Swedish, with related forms such as delsträcka (subsection) and sträckning (the act or extent of stretching).