ráða

From Old Norse ráða, from Proto-Germanic *rēdaną.

ráða (third person singular past indicative raddi, third person plural past indicative raddu, supine rátt)

1. to advise
2. to decide

• IPA^(key): /ˈrauːða/

  Rhymes: -auːða

From Old Norse ráða, from Proto-Germanic *rēdaną, from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₁dʰ- (“reason, count”). Cognate with English read, Low German raden, Dutch raden, German raten, Swedish råda, Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌳𐌰𐌽 (garēdan). The Indo-European root is also the source of Ancient Greek ἀριθμός (arithmós), Old Irish immrádim, Old Church Slavonic радити (raditi).

ráða (strong verb, third-person singular past indicative réð, third-person plural past indicative réðu, supine ráðið)

1. to employ, to hire [with accusative]

   Hún ræður alltaf vini sína.

   She always employs her friends.

   Ég mætti bara brosandi og ég var ráðinn á staðnum.

   I just showed up smiling and I was hired on the spot.

2. to solve [with accusative]

   Geturðu ráðið þessar gátur?

   Can you solve these riddles?

3. to read [with accusative]

   Hann réð rúnirnar.

   He read the runes

4. to command, control, be in control of [with dative]

   Hver ræður hér í raun og veru?

   Who is really in charge here?

5. to advise [with dative ‘someone’, along with accusative ‘something’ or að (+ infinitive) ‘to do something’]

   Afi minn réð mér alltaf heilt.

   My grandfather always gave me good advice.

6. to decide [with dative]

   Ég læt þig ráða.

   I'll let you decide.

• ráðast
• það verður að ráðast (“it will have to take its course”)

ráða

1. indefinite genitive plural of ráð

From Proto-Germanic *rēdaną, from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₁dʰ-.

ráða (singular past indicative réð, plural past indicative réðu, past participle ráðinn)

1. to advise, to counsel [with dative ‘someone’, along with accusative ‘something’ or infinitive ‘to do something’]
2. to consult about, discuss [with dative]
3. to devise, plan [with dative]
4. to agree on [with dative]

   réðu þeir þat þá með sér

   they settled this among themselves

5. to fix, resolve [with accusative]

   hefi áðr ráðit brúðlaup mitt

   I have fixed my wedding day

6. to hire, take into service [with accusative]

   bóndi sagði húsfreyju, at hann hafði Hrapp ráðit með sér

   the partisan told his wife that he had taken Hrapp into his company

7. to rule (over), govern [with dative]

   Einarr jarl réð þá Orkneyjum

   Earl Einarr ruled the Orkneys

8. to rule, command, have one's way with, prevail, decide, settle [with dative]
9. to have, possess, be master of, enjoy [with dative]
10. to explain, read, interpret [with dative]
11. to read and understand (e.g. runes) [with accusative]

• ᚱᛅᚦᛅ (raþa) — infinitive, Runic form
• ᚱᛅᚦᚱ (raþr) — second/third singular present indicative, Runic form
• ᚱᛁᚦ (riþ), ᚱᛆᛁᚦ (raiþ) — first/third singular past indicative, Runic form
• ᚱᛅᚦᛁ (raþi), ᚱᚮᚦᛁ (roþi) — third singular present subjunctive, Runic form
• ᚱᛅᚦ (raþ) — second singular imperative, Runic form

• Icelandic: ráða
• Faroese: ráða
• Norwegian Nynorsk: rå, råda
• Old Swedish: rāþa
  • Swedish: råda
• Danish: råde
  • Norwegian Bokmål: råde, rå

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “ráða”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 330; also available at the Internet Archive