nu/då

Now/then

Level 1

Nu = now
Då = then

How It Works

Nu and då are fundamental adverbs of time in Swedish.

1. Nu (Now)
Use nu to talk about the present moment. It's the direct equivalent of 'now'.

  • Jag äter nu. (I am eating now.)
  • Vi måste gå nu. (We have to go now.)

When nu occupies the first constituent position of an ordinary declarative clause, the finite verb follows it. This can simply establish the time frame; emphasis is optional. This is an example of the verb-second rule.

  • Nu äter jag. (Now I am eating.)

2. Då (Then)
Då is a bit more flexible. It usually means 'then' and can refer to a contextual past or future time, or mean 'in that case'.

A) Past Time: Use då to mean 'back then' or 'at that time' in the past.

  • Jag var bara ett barn då. (I was just a child then.)
  • Då bodde vi i Malmö. (Then we lived in Malmö.)

B) A Consequence Or Condition: Use då in 'if... then...' constructions.

  • Om du är trött, då kan du vila. (If you are tired, then you can rest.)

Future Time And Sequences
Vi kommer hem klockan fem, och då ska vi äta uses då for an ordinary future time, without an if-clause. Sedan more explicitly marks the next step in a sequence: Först äter vi, sedan tittar vi på film. Då can also connect events when a contextual time or consequence is intended; it is not generally forbidden in narratives.

Nu may cover a broader present period, as in Jag bor i Malmö nu. Nu och då and då och då mean now and then / occasionally. In Vad heter hon nu igen?, nu helps manage the conversation rather than specifying a literal new time for her name.

Examples (5)

  1. Jag måste gå nu.

    I have to go now.

    Word by Word: I must go now.

  2. Nu börjar filmen.

    Now the movie is starting.

    Word by Word: Now begins the movie.

    When 'Nu' starts the sentence, the verb ('börjar') comes second.

  3. Jag bodde i Stockholm då.

    I lived in Stockholm then.

    Word by Word: I lived in Stockholm then.

  4. Då var allting annorlunda.

    Everything was different then.

    Word by Word: Then was everything different.

  5. Om det regnar, då stannar vi hemma.

    If it rains, then we'll stay home.

    Word by Word: If it rains, then stay we home.

    Here, 'då' is used in a conditional 'if... then...' sentence.

How It Connects

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nu/dåLevel 1Now/then

Learn This First

To use 'nu' and 'då' effectively, a learner needs to understand the conceptual difference between present and past time, as well as the fundamental rules for where adverbs are placed in a sentence.

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Words in This Pattern

nu