Questions & Answers about Är du fri imorgon?
Why does the sentence start with är instead of du?
Because this is a yes/no question in Swedish. In main clauses, Swedish usually forms yes/no questions by putting the verb first.
- Statement: Du är fri imorgon. = You are free tomorrow.
- Question: Är du fri imorgon? = Are you free tomorrow?
So this is the normal verb + subject word order for a yes/no question.
What exactly does är mean here?
Är is the present tense of vara, which means to be.
So:
- jag är = I am
- du är = you are
- han/hon är = he/she is
In this sentence, är means are.
What does fri mean in this sentence?
Fri literally means free, but in this context it usually means free / available / not busy.
So Är du fri imorgon? is often asking whether someone is available tomorrow, not whether they are politically or personally free.
A very natural English translation is:
- Are you free tomorrow?
- Are you available tomorrow?