Ways to say it
| Norwegian | IPA |
|---|---|
| röd | |
| raud | /rœʊ̯ː/ |
The term is used to describe the color red. Additionally, the form rød can be used to denote left-wing political affiliations, such as being a socialist or communist.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the written standard used and the political context of the word rød.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The spelling rød is used in the Bokmål written standard, while the spelling raud is used in the Nynorsk written standard.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In Nynorsk, the adjective changes its form based on the noun it describes: use raud for masculine and feminine nouns, raudt for neuter nouns and raude for plural nouns. In the Bokmål standard, when describing a masculine noun like 'bil' (car) or a feminine noun like 'blomst' (flower), you use rød.
When do people say it?
The idiom se rødt literally means 'see red' and is used to describe someone getting angry or losing their temper.
Did you know?
- Norway is one of the few countries with two official written standards, Bokmål and Nynorsk, which is why rød and raud both exist for the same color.
- The spelling röd is actually the Swedish version of the word, which can occasionally cause confusion for those studying Scandinavian languages.
- The English word 'red' and the Norwegian word raud are essentially siblings, both descending from the same Proto-Indo-European root.
Examples in context
- Den vinen er raud.That wine is red.This sentence shows the use of raud to describe a color.Tatoeba #13210905 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #13210262 by frpzzd
- Kven er ho med raud hatt?Who's the woman with the red hat?Tatoeba #8214653 by vikvaering, translation #2270559 by _undertoad
- Grått høver godt til raudt.Gray goes well with red.This sentence shows how the neuter form raudt is used when describing how colors pair together.Tatoeba #12674880 by joea8, translation #2711725 by sharptoothed
- Denne veggen er rødThis wall is red
- Denne genseren er rødThis sweater is red
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jakob and Nora are looking at paint samples in a store.
- JakobHvilken farge liker du best?Which color do you like best?
- NoraJeg synes röd er veldig fin.I think red is very nice.
- JakobEr ikke det litt for sterkt?Isn't that a bit too strong?
- NoraNei, röd passer perfekt i stua.No, red fits perfectly in the living room.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “red” translations and entries raud, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries raud, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
