här/där
Here/there
här = here, in the speaker’s space.
där = there, at a place pointed out or already mentioned.
How It Works
här (here) and där (there) are fundamental adverbs of place in Swedish. They are used to specify location.
1. 'här' (here)
Use 'här' to talk about the place where you are, or something very close to you.
- Jag är här. (I am here.)
- Boken ligger här. (The book is lying here.)
2. 'där' (there)
Use där for a place pointed out as there rather than here, or one already mentioned. It need not be physically far away.
- Han är där. (He is there.)
- Huset är där borta. (The house is over there.)
Sentence Position
In a basic statement, 'här' and 'där' usually go at the end of the clause.
However, if you start a sentence with 'här' or 'där' for emphasis, you must use the verb-second rule (V2 inversion), where the verb comes immediately after.
- Här är jag. (Here I am.)
- Där står bilen. (There stands the car.)
Location And Destination
Här and där locate something; hit and dit name a destination. Compare Jag går här (I am walking here) with Jag går hit (I am walking to this place). Movement itself does not force a directional adverb: what matters is whether you describe its location or its endpoint.
Kom hit! is the standard form for Come here! The command verb is kom. Komma is an infinitive. Colloquial Kom här! also occurs, so it should not be labeled an impossible Swedish sentence merely for using här.
Examples (4)
- Jag bor här.
I live here.
Word by Word: I live here.
- Boken är där på bordet.
The book is there on the table.
Word by Word: The book is there on the-table.
- Vad gör du här?
What are you doing here?
Word by Word: What do you here?
- Där är min skola.
There is my school.
Word by Word: There is my school.
Notice the V2 inversion: 'Där' is in the first position, so the verb 'är' comes second.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The adverbs 'här' and 'där' are foundational building blocks for indicating location. To use them effectively, a learner should first understand how to ask about location using 'var' (where) and be familiar with basic pronouns to form simple sentences.
- varWhere
Understanding the question word for location ('where') provides the functional context for answering with adverbs of place like 'here' and 'there'.
Level 1 - Basic pronouns
Demonstrative adverbs are often used in conjunction with basic pronouns to identify objects or people in a physical space.
Foundations
Related Patterns
- Verb-second rule
Crucial when starting a sentence with 'här' or 'där'. The adverb takes the first position, forcing the verb into the second position (e.g., 'Här är jag.').
Level 3 - påOn/at
'på' (on/at) is a preposition that specifies a location. 'här' and 'där' are adverbs that can either replace or complement a prepositional phrase. For example, 'Boken är på bordet' can be specified as 'Boken är här på bordet'.
Level 1 - det finnsThere Is/are
'det finns' means 'there is/are' and is used to state the existence of something. 'här' and 'där' are often used with it to specify the location of what exists, e.g., 'Det finns en park här'.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice här/där in Bubblegum
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