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Questions & Answers about Vi stannar inne idag.
What does each word do in this sentence?
- Vi = “we” (subject pronoun)
- stannar = present tense of stanna (“stay; stop”)
- inne = adverb meaning “inside” (a location/state, not movement)
- idag = adverb meaning “today” (time)
Does stannar mean “stay” or “stop”?
Both, depending on context:
- “Stay”: Vi stannar inne. = “We are staying inside.”
- “Stop”: Bussen stannar. = “The bus stops.” As a command to stop something, you’ll hear both Stanna bilen! and Stoppa bilen!; stoppa is the unambiguously transitive “stop.”
Why is it inne and not in?
Swedish distinguishes direction vs location:
- Direction (movement): in — e.g., Gå in! (“Go in!”)
- Location (state): inne — e.g., Jag är inne. (“I’m inside.”) So with “stay” (a state), you use inne.
What’s the difference between inne, inomhus, and hemma?
- inne = “inside/indoors” in general (inside a building/space; not necessarily at home).
- inomhus = “indoors” (a bit more formal or explicit than inne).
- hemma = “at home.” Examples:
- Vi stannar inne idag. (We’re staying inside somewhere.)
- Vi stannar inomhus idag. (We’re staying indoors.)
- Vi stannar hemma idag. (We’re staying at home.)
Why does inne come before idag?
Swedish commonly orders adverbials as Place before Time in main clauses. Hence: Vi stannar [inne] [idag].
Can I put idag at the beginning?
Yes. Because Swedish is a V2 language, the finite verb stays in second position:
- Idag stannar vi inne. (Fronting the time adverbial forces inversion: verb in position 2, subject after it.)
How do I negate this sentence?
Place inte after the finite verb:
- Vi stannar inte inne idag. If you front idag:
- Idag stannar vi inte inne.
How do I ask “Are we staying inside today?”
- Stannar vi inne idag? (Yes/no question by inversion) You can also ask about intention/plan:
- Ska vi stanna inne idag? (Are we going to/shall we stay inside today?)
- Kommer vi att stanna inne idag? (Will we stay inside today?)
Does the present tense here refer to a future plan?
Yes. Swedish often uses the present with a time word for near-future plans:
- Vi stannar inne idag. ≈ “We’re staying inside today.” For extra clarity or intention, use ska; for neutral future, kommer att.
Is it idag or i dag?
Both are correct and common. You’ll see idag very often in modern writing; i dag is also accepted (and still used in some styles). Pick one and be consistent.
Is Vi stannar kvar inne idag okay? What does kvar add?
Yes. kvar emphasizes remaining where you already are:
- Vi stannar kvar inne idag. = “We’re staying (remaining) inside today.”
Can I say Vi blir inne idag or Vi håller oss inne idag?
Yes, both are idiomatic:
- Vi blir inne idag. (Colloquial: “We’ll stay inside today.” Literally “we become/remain inside.”)
- Vi håller oss inne idag. (“We’re keeping ourselves inside today,” often when avoiding going out for a reason.)
Could inne ever mean “trendy/in”? Is that what it means here?
Inne can mean “trendy/in” (e.g., Det är inne med vintage.), but here, with stannar, it clearly means “inside.”
How do I add a reason?
Use eftersom or för att:
- Vi stannar inne idag eftersom det regnar.
- Vi stannar inne idag för att det regnar.
Can I say Vi stannar inne hela dagen (idag)? Is mentioning both redundant?
- Vi stannar inne hela dagen. = “We’re staying inside all day.” This usually suffices.
- Vi stannar inne hela dagen idag. is possible, but idag is often redundant with hela dagen unless you’re contrasting days.
Is Vi är inne idag the same as Vi stannar inne idag?
Not quite. Vi är inne idag often means “We’re in (at the office/at home/in the building) today” as a state of being available/present. Vi stannar inne idag emphasizes the decision or plan to stay inside (not go out).