Learn Hardcore Swedish: Vi borde börja nu.

borde expresses a recommendation or mild obligation—“it would be wise/appropriate.” It’s softer than måste (“must,” strong necessity) and less definite than ska (“shall/is going to,” plan or arrangement). Compared with bör, which is formal and prescriptive (like “ought to” in written rules), borde is the everyday, more tentative choice.

Why is there no att before börja?

After modal/auxiliary verbs in Swedish, you use the bare infinitive (no att): borde, ska, vill, kan, måste, får, brukar, hinner, etc. So it’s borde börja, not borde att börja. Note that with kommer att, the att stays: kommer att börja.

Why is it börja and not börjar after borde?

Because after a modal, the main verb stays in the infinitive: borde börja, kan komma, vill äta. Using börjar would be ungrammatical here.

Can I move nu to the front for emphasis?

Yes: Nu borde vi börja. This fronting emphasizes “now.” Swedish main clauses follow the V2 rule, so when nu is first, the finite verb (borde) stays in second position.

How do I form a yes/no question with this sentence?

Invert subject and verb: Borde vi börja nu? You can also ask an echo question with rising intonation: Vi borde börja nu? (softer/confirming).

Where does the negation inte go?

After the finite verb: Vi borde inte börja nu. If you front the time adverbial: Nu borde vi inte börja.

How do I say “We should have started (by now/earlier)”?

Use the perfect infinitive: Vi borde ha börjat. Add time expressions as needed:

By now: Vi borde ha börjat vid det här laget.
Earlier: Vi borde ha börjat tidigare.

How do I pronounce the sentence?

Approximate: “vee BOOR-deh BÖR-ya nyoo.” IPA: [viː ˈbuːɖɛ ˈbœrja nʉː]. Notes:

rd in borde merges to a single retroflex sound [ɖ] in most accents.
ö in börja is like the vowel in English “bird” (but without an r-sound).
u in nu is a fronted long vowel [ʉː], like a long “ew.”

Are börja (“to begin”) and bör/borde (“ought to/should”) related?

No. They just happen to look similar. börja is the verb “to start/begin,” while bör/borde is a separate modal verb meaning “ought to/should.”

What’s the difference between nu, just nu, and nu för tiden?

nu = now (general present time).
just nu = right now/at this very moment (stronger immediacy).
nu för tiden = nowadays/these days (habitual present).

If I want to add another verb, is it börja att or just börja?

Both are possible: börja (att) + infinitive. In modern Swedish, att after börja is often omitted in speech: Vi borde börja arbeta nu (more common) vs Vi borde börja att arbeta nu (more formal/writing). With colloquial verbs you’ll commonly see: börja jobba.

Can I add a noun object, like “the meeting”?

Yes. börja can take a noun: Vi borde börja mötet nu (“We should start the meeting now”). Alternatives include starta or sätta igång: Vi borde starta/sätta igång mötet nu.

How can I soften the suggestion further?

Add particles like väl or kanske, or use a question tone:

Vi borde väl börja nu. (I suppose we should start now.)
Vi kanske borde börja nu. (Maybe we should start now.)
Vi borde börja nu? (tentative, seeking agreement)

How do I make it stronger or more urgent?

Use a stronger modal or imperative tone:

Vi måste börja nu. (We must start now.)
Nu börjar vi. (We’re starting now.)
Nu måste vi börja. (Urgent “now” first, V2 respected.)

Is there a difference between Vi bör börja nu and Vi borde börja nu?

Yes. Vi bör börja nu is formal and prescriptive (like a rule or recommendation in writing). Vi borde börja nu is more common in everyday speech and sounds like a polite suggestion.