Learn Hardcore Swedish: Vi har varken tid eller bil idag. - We have neither time nor a car today.

Varken ... eller means “neither ... nor.” Although eller normally means “or,” in this fixed pairing it corresponds to English “nor.” So the sentence means “We have neither time nor a car today.”

Do I need inte with varken ... eller?

No. Varken ... eller is itself a negation. Don’t add inte to negate the same thing:

Natural: Vi har varken tid eller bil idag.
Also common (slightly plainer): Vi har inte tid eller bil idag.
If you want an explicit inte, use the alternative pattern: Vi har inte vare sig tid eller bil idag.
Avoid: Vi har inte varken tid eller bil idag (redundant in standard Swedish).

Why is there no article before bil (no “en bil”) or tid?

tid is an uncountable noun in this meaning (“time”), so no article is used.
bil is countable, but after varken ... eller Swedish commonly uses bare singular nouns to mean “no/any”: varken tid eller bil.
Alternatives:
- With “no”: ingen tid, ingen bil (common gender). Example: Vi har ingen bil idag.
- With “any” under negation: varken någon tid eller någon bil (heavier style).
If you modify a count noun with an adjective, you generally need the article: varken en ny bil eller en gammal cykel (not “varken ny bil ...”).

Where can I put idag in the sentence?

Several natural options:

End position (neutral): Vi har varken tid eller bil idag.
Fronted time = verb-second inversion: Idag har vi varken tid eller bil.
Midfield (more written/formal): Vi har idag varken tid eller bil. All are correct; Swedish main clauses keep the finite verb in second position when something is fronted.

Can I use varken ... eller with subjects or adverbials?

Yes.

Subjects: Varken du eller jag har tid idag.
Adverbials fronted: Varken idag eller imorgon har vi tid. The whole “varken-eller” phrase counts as the first position; the finite verb still comes second.

Can I list more than two things with varken ... eller?

Yes. Chain items and use eller before the last one:

Vi har varken tid, bil eller pengar idag. No comma before the final eller (no “Oxford comma” in Swedish).

Is eller always “or,” and why does it look like “nor” here?

Eller is the normal word for “or.” When it appears in the fixed pair varken ... eller, English translates it as “nor.” Outside that pair, it’s just “or.”

What’s the positive counterpart to varken ... eller?

Positive “both ... and”: både ... och
- Vi har både tid och bil idag.
“Either ... or”: antingen ... eller (usually exclusive)
- Vi har antingen tid eller bil idag (implies one, not both).

How does vare sig ... eller differ from varken ... eller?

Vare sig ... eller is a more formal alternative and is very commonly used together with a separate negation:

Vi har inte vare sig tid eller bil idag. Learners can safely prefer varken ... eller. Avoid the redundant mix inte varken ... eller in standard Swedish.

Could I say “Vi har varken tid eller en bil idag”?

It’s better to keep the two coordinated nouns parallel. Use either both bare nouns (varken tid eller bil) or add articles/adjectives to both if needed:

Natural: Vi har varken tid eller bil idag.
With adjectives/articles: Vi har varken en ledig minut eller en bil tillgänglig idag.

Is “Vi har ingen tid och ingen bil idag” okay?

Yes, it’s grammatical: ingen/inget/inga = “no.” But Swedish usually prefers the tighter varken ... eller for two coordinated negatives: Vi har varken tid eller bil idag.

What would “Vi har inte bilen idag” mean?

That negates a specific definite car: “We don’t have the car today” (e.g., it’s at the shop). Your original sentence means “We don’t have any car today” (no car available at all).

Any quick pronunciation tips?

vi [vee]
har [har] (a as in “father”)
varken roughly [VAR-ken] (stress on the first syllable)
tid [teed]
eller [EL-ler]
bil [beel]
idag [ee-DAHG] Regional variation exists, but this will be understood.

Is idag or i dag correct?

Both are accepted. idag is the modern single-word spelling; i dag is also standard, a bit more traditional.