Where

Asking “where” with var

Swedish var means where when you ask about a place or location.

In a direct question, var comes first, followed by the verb and then the subject:

Var + verb + subject?

• Var är du? — Where are you?
• Var bor du? — Where do you live?
• Var ligger stationen? — Where is the station?

Swedish does not add an equivalent of English do in questions: Var bor du? is literally “Where live you?”

When the question is part of a longer sentence, keep the subject before the verb:

• Vet du var nyckeln är? — Do you know where the key is?
• Jag vet inte var hon bor. — I don’t know where she lives.

Compare the direct question Var är nyckeln? (verb before subject) with the embedded question Vet du var nyckeln är? (subject before verb). Don’t carry the direct-question order into an embedded question.

Note: Lowercase var can also mean was, as the past form of vara (“to be”): Han var hemma — “He was at home.” The examples in this lesson use var meaning “where.”

Useful Expressions

1. Var är toaletten? — Where is the restroom?
2. Var bor du? — Where do you live?
3. Var ligger det närmaste apoteket? — Where is the nearest pharmacy?
4. Var arbetar du? — Where do you work?
5. Var kommer ni ifrån? — Where are you all from?
6. Var träffas vi? — Where shall we meet?
7. Var kan jag köpa en biljett? — Where can I buy a ticket?
8. Vet du var busshållplatsen ligger? — Do you know where the bus stop is?
9. Jag vet inte var min telefon är. — I don’t know where my phone is.
10. Kan du visa mig var stationen ligger? — Can you show me where the station is?