då

Then/When/Since

Level 3

Compare Jag var liten då (I was little then), Då stannar vi hemma (In that case we will stay home), and då det regnar (when, or since, it rains).

How It Works

The word då is a versatile and common word in Swedish with several related functions. Understanding the context is key to interpreting its meaning.

1. Adverb of Time: 'then'
This is the most straightforward use. Då refers to an established time, either past or future: Vi kommer hem vid fem och då ska jag bada (We get home at five, and then I will have a bath).

  • Jag bodde i Malmö 2010. Jag trivdes bra då. (I lived in Malmö in 2010. I liked it a lot then.)

When då starts a main clause, it triggers the verb-second rule, where the verb comes immediately after it.

  • Då bodde jag i Malmö. (Then, I lived in Malmö.)

2. Conjunction: 'when'
Då can introduce a subordinate clause, meaning 'when'. It often introduces a past occasion, especially in writing. It can also describe repeated or general situations; there is no grammatical rule restricting it to one completed past event. När is the ordinary broad choice for temporal “when”. Då may also invite a causal reading, “since/because”.

  • Jag blev glad då du ringde. (I was happy when you called.)
  • Då vi kom fram, hade festen redan börjat. (When we arrived, the party had already started.)

Remember that subordinate clauses have their own word order, often following the BIFF rule.

3. Conclusions and Conversational Questions
As an adverb, då can mean “in that case”, linking a situation to a consequence. In questions, it can request the next step or a more specific answer: Hur då? (How so?) or Vad gör vi då? (What do we do then?).

  • Det regnar. Då stannar vi inne. (It's raining. Then we'll stay inside.)
  • Jag kan inte följa med, jag måste jobba då. (I can't come along; I have to work at that time.) Here final då is temporal, not a generic explanation particle.

Do not substitute då mechanically for particles like ju or väl, which have different conversational meanings.

Causal Då
In formal writing, då can mean “since/because”: Då lönen är otillräcklig kan hon inte anta erbjudandet (Since the pay is insufficient, she cannot accept the offer). This gives a reason, not a time. The causal meaning belongs to the clause introduced by då; it does not justify translating every sentence-final då as “you see”.

Meaning and Usage Contrast
Då jag är hungrig, äter jag. / När jag är hungrig, äter jag.
Both examples can be grammatical. När jag är hungrig clearly introduces the time or recurring condition. Då jag är hungrig may instead be understood as “since I am hungry”, especially in formal writing. Temporal då is not restricted to single past events.

Examples (4)

  1. Jag var bara ett barn då.

    I was just a child then.

    Word by Word: I was only a child then.

    Here, 'då' is an adverb of time, referring to a previously mentioned time in the past.

  2. Då jag öppnade dörren såg jag en katt.

    When I opened the door, I saw a cat.

    Word by Word: When I opened the door saw I a cat.

    Here, 'då' is a conjunction introducing a subordinate clause about a single past event.

  3. Du har feber. Då borde du gå hem.

    You have a fever. Then you should go home.

    Word by Word: You have fever. Then should you go home.

    Då means “in that case”, drawing a conclusion from the fever. As the initial constituent, it is followed by the finite verb borde, then the subject du.

  4. Du vill inte ta tåget. Hur vill du resa då?

    You do not want to take the train. How do you want to travel, then?

    Word by Word: You want not to take the train. How want you to travel then?

    The question asks for the next alternative in response to the preceding statement. Final då is conversational “then”, not an unsupported “you see” after an explanation.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing inte after the finite verb in a subordinate då-clause.

    Då han kunde inte komma fick vi vänta.
    Då han inte kunde komma fick vi vänta.

    In the ordinary subordinate clause, sentence adverb inte comes before finite kunde. This holds whether då is understood temporally (“when”) or causally (“since”).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

dåLevel 3Then/When/Since

Learn This First

To understand 'då' as a modal particle meaning 'then' or 'you see' in a logical sense, a learner first needs to know its basic meaning as a time adverb. Additionally, since 'då' often appears in specific positions within the sentence or initiates inversion, knowledge of the V2 rule and general sentence particle behavior is essential.

Words in This Pattern