Learn Hardcore Swedish: Är du ledig imorgon eller jobbar du? - Are you free tomorrow or are you working?

Correct: Är du ledig imorgon eller jobbar du?
Incorrect: Är du ledig imorgon eller du jobbar? This mirrors English: Are you free tomorrow, or are you working?

What exactly does ledig mean here?

Ledig means “off (work)” or “available/not busy.” It can also mean:

“vacant” (a free seat/room): Är platsen ledig?
“single” (relationship status): Är hon ledig? In this sentence it clearly means “off work/available tomorrow.”

Can I use fri instead of ledig?

Sometimes, but they aren’t interchangeable in all contexts.

Ledig: most natural for schedules and days off: Är du ledig imorgon?
Fri: “free” in the sense of liberty or lack of restrictions; can work in casual talk about availability (Är du fri ikväll?), but for work schedules ledig is safer and more idiomatic.

What’s the difference between Är du ledig imorgon? and Har du ledigt imorgon?

Both are common and mean almost the same.

Vara ledig (to be off/free): Är du ledig imorgon?
Ha ledigt (to have time off): Har du ledigt imorgon? Nuance: ha ledigt focuses a bit more on your work schedule; vara ledig is slightly broader (not working / not otherwise engaged).

Is it imorgon or i morgon?

Both are accepted. Modern usage often prefers the single word imorgon, but i morgon is still correct. Pick one style and be consistent. The same goes for idag/i dag and ikväll/i kväll.

Why is present tense (jobbar) used for a future time (“tomorrow”)?

Swedish often uses the present tense for scheduled or expected future events:

Jag jobbar imorgon. = I work tomorrow. You can also say:
Ska du jobba imorgon? (plan/intention)
Kommer du att jobba imorgon? (more predictive/formal)

What’s the difference between jobba and arbeta?

They mean the same (“to work”).

Jobba: more informal and very common in speech: Jobbar du?
Arbeta: more formal/literary: Arbetar du? Both are correct here.

Do I need to repeat du in the second part, or can I say … eller jobbar?

Repeat it. Swedish doesn’t normally drop subject pronouns, and after eller you have a full question again:

Natural: Är du ledig imorgon eller jobbar du?
Unnatural: … eller jobbar?

Should there be a comma before eller?

Not required. You can add a comma to show a pause or improve readability, but it’s optional:

Är du ledig imorgon eller jobbar du?
Är du ledig imorgon, eller jobbar du? (slight pause)

Are there other natural ways to phrase the same idea?

Yes:

Ska du jobba imorgon eller är du ledig?
Jobbar du imorgon, eller är du ledig?
Shorter: Jobbar du imorgon? / Är du ledig imorgon? (ask just one and follow up)

How would I make it negative?

Place inte after the verb:

Är du inte ledig imorgon, eller jobbar du?
Är du ledig imorgon, eller jobbar du inte? A direct negative statement would be: Nej, jag jobbar imorgon.

Any quick pronunciation tips for the tricky bits?

Är: the ä is like the vowel in English “air,” but shorter.
du: Swedish u is a rounded sound (similar to German “ü”), not English “oo.”
ledig: stress on the first syllable: LE-dig; the final g is pronounced, but lightly.
imorgon: main stress on -mor-: i-MOR-gon; the o in mor is like “o” in “for,” a bit shorter.

How does this change if I’m talking to more than one person?

Use plural ni and make the adjective plural:

Är ni lediga imorgon eller jobbar ni? Note: Swedish usually uses du for one person; the formal singular Ni is rare today.

Do I ever use på with “tomorrow”?

No. Say imorgon (or i morgon) without a preposition. But with weekdays you often use på:

på fredag (on Friday), but imorgon (tomorrow).

Could ledig be misunderstood as “single” or “vacant” here?

In isolation, ledig can mean “single” or “vacant,” but with imorgon and the contrast … eller jobbar du?, the meaning “off work/available” is unambiguous.

How could someone naturally answer this question?

Ja, jag är ledig (imorgon).
Nej, jag jobbar (imorgon).
Jag är ledig på eftermiddagen.
Informal: Japp, ledig. / Nä, jag jobbar.