What you will learn
You can ask for someone’s name, where they live and where they come from, and ask simple yes or no questions.
Question word first
| Question word | Verb | Subject | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vad | heter | du? | What is your name? |
| Var | bor | du? | Where do you live? |
| Varifrån | kommer | du? | Where do you come from? |
The question word comes first, then the verb, then the subject. Vad means what, var means where and varifrån means from where.
You also hear Var kommer du ifrån? It means the same as Varifrån kommer du? and both are correct.
Answers
| Question | Answer | English |
|---|---|---|
| Vad heter du? | Jag heter Kenji. | My name is Kenji. |
| Var bor du? | Jag bor i Uppsala. | I live in Uppsala. |
| Varifrån kommer du? | Jag kommer från Japan. | I come from Japan. |
The small words i and från
Use i with the town or country where someone lives, as in Jag bor i Uppsala and Hon bor i Sverige.
Use från with the place someone comes from, as in Han kommer från Egypten.
Yes or no questions
| Verb | Subject | The rest | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bor | du | i Uppsala? | Do you live in Uppsala? |
| Talar | du | svenska? | Do you speak Swedish? |
| Är | du | lärare? | Are you a teacher? |
Start with the verb and then the subject. Swedish needs no extra word like do.
Answer with ja for yes or nej for no. You can add a full statement, as in Ja, jag bor i Uppsala or Nej, jag bor i Knivsta.
In speech, people sometimes ask with an ordinary statement and a rising voice, such as Du bor i Uppsala? In this course, write yes or no questions with the verb first.
Common mistakes
| Not like this | Like this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Var heter du? | Vad heter du? | Var means where. A name needs vad. |
| Varifrån bor du? | Var bor du? | Bor goes with var. Kommer goes with varifrån. |
| Du talar svenska? in writing | Talar du svenska? | In a written yes or no question the verb comes first. |
| Jag bor från Polen. | Jag kommer från Polen, or Jag bor i Polen | Från goes with kommer. Bor goes with i. |