Vi skal være der mindst ti minutter før mødet begynder.

to be

Breakdown of Vi skal være der mindst ti minutter før mødet begynder.

• vi: we
• der: there
• før: before

Questions & Answers about Vi skal være der mindst ti minutter før mødet begynder.

Why does the sentence use skal?

Skal usually means shall / have to / are supposed to / need to, depending on context.

In Vi skal være der ..., it shows some kind of obligation, plan, or expectation:

• We have to be there ...
• We’re supposed to be there ...
• We need to be there ...

It is stronger than simply saying Vi er der (We are there) and more purposeful than Vi vil være der (We want/will be there).

Why is it være der and not just være?

Være means to be, and der means there.

So være der means be there.

In Danish, just like in English, if you want to mention being in a place, you usually need the place word:

• Vi skal være der = We need to be there
• Vi skal være hjemme = We need to be at home

Without der, the sentence would feel incomplete unless the location were already expressed in another way.

What does mindst mean, and why is it placed there?