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Questions & Answers about Ni får gärna vänta här.
Does ni mean you singular or plural? Is it polite?
ni is primarily the 2nd‑person plural (“you all”). Addressing one person with ni exists in some service contexts (shops, restaurants) to sound respectful, but outside those it can feel old‑fashioned or distancing. For one person in everyday speech, use du.
Should Ni be capitalized here to be polite?
No. Modern Swedish normally writes pronouns lowercase: ni, du. Capitalized Ni (or Du) is a stylistic choice sometimes seen in letters or on signs, but it isn’t required and can look dated. It doesn’t change the grammar.
Why use får and not kan?
- får = “may/are allowed to” (permission).
- kan = “can/are able to” (ability/possibility). Here you’re granting permission/inviting, so får is idiomatic. Ni kan vänta här is possible but sounds more like a neutral suggestion than explicit permission/welcome.
What does gärna add? Is it like “please”?
gärna means “gladly/willingly.” With får, it softens and invites: “you’re welcome to / feel free to.” It overlaps with “please” in effect but isn’t a direct equivalent.
- Ni får vänta här = neutral permission.
- Ni får gärna vänta här = friendly invitation (“you’re very welcome to…”).
Is the word order fixed? Why is gärna after får?
Yes. In main clauses Swedish is V2 (finite verb in 2nd position). The adverb gärna goes after the finite verb and before the infinitive:
- Subject + finite verb + adverb + infinitive + place
- Ni får gärna vänta här Putting gärna before får (e.g., Ni gärna får…) is ungrammatical.
Could I say Vänta gärna här instead?
Yes. Vänta gärna här (imperative) is a polite request (“Please wait here”). Ni får gärna vänta här is a polite granting of permission/invitation. Both are common; the nuance is request vs permission.
How do I say the opposite (not allowed to wait here)?
Use inte with får:
- Ni får inte vänta här = You may not wait here. Don’t combine gärna with inte to mean “prefer you didn’t.” For a softer restriction, use helst:
- Ni får helst inte vänta här = Preferably don’t wait here.
Do I need på with vänta?
- For “wait (somewhere)”: vänta alone — vänta här, vänta ute.
- For “wait for (someone/something)”: vänta på — vänta på bussen, vänta på Anna.
Are there other polite alternatives?
- Vänligen vänta här. Very formal/polite; common on signs; in speech can sound stiff.
- Vänta här, tack. Request softened with tack.
- Varsågod(a) och slå er ner. For inviting someone to sit down.
- Ni kan slå er ner här så länge. Softer suggestion (“you can sit down here for now”).
Can I intensify gärna?
Yes: jättegärna (“very gladly”) makes it warmer/friendlier:
- Ni får jättegärna vänta här. In very formal contexts, stick to gärna.
How would the sentence change if another element is fronted (V2 rule)?
Keep the finite verb second:
- Här får ni gärna vänta.
- Under tiden får ni gärna vänta här. Avoid Här ni får gärna… (incorrect).
How do you pronounce the tricky parts?
- ni: “nee.”
- får: å like a long “o” (“fohr”); tap/roll the r.
- gärna: g before ä is a soft y‑sound; roughly “YAIR‑na” (with the rn merging into one retroflex sound in many accents).
- vänta: ä like the e in “bed”: “VEN‑ta.”
- här: short “air” sound; “hair” but without the strong English r.
Is the period necessary? What about an exclamation mark?
A period is standard in writing. On signs you might see no punctuation or a period. An exclamation mark can feel a bit commanding in Swedish; use it sparingly unless you want strong emphasis.