Word
Vi skal gå hjem nu.
Meaning
We have to walk home now.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Vi skal gå hjem nu.
vi
we
nu
now
skulle
to have to / must / to be going to
gå
to walk / to go / to go out, to fail (of power)
Questions & Answers about Vi skal gå hjem nu.
Why is the verb gå used here instead of går or at gå?
Because it comes right after skal. The word skal is a modal verb, and in Danish, modal verbs are always followed by the basic dictionary form of the next verb. You also drop the word at (to), so it becomes just the bare word gå.
Does skal mean "have to" or "are going to" in this sentence?
It can actually mean both! The word skal is used to show either a strong obligation ("have to" or "must") or a future plan ("are going to"). The context usually tells you which one makes the most sense, but in this sentence, both translations work perfectly.
I learned that "home" is hjemme. Why is it hjem in this sentence?
In Danish, hjem is used when there is movement towards your house, like when you are traveling there from somewhere else. You use hjemme when you are already physically at your house. Since the verb is gå (walk), there is movement towards a destination, so we must use hjem.
Can gå translate to just "go" no matter how we travel?
No, gå specifically means to physically walk on foot. If you are going home using a bike, car, or bus, you wouldn't use gå. Instead, you would use a word like køre (drive/ride) or the more general tage (take/go).