Innan jag åker, vill jag träffa dig.

Before I leave, I want to meet you.

Breakdown of Innan jag åker, vill jag träffa dig.

• jag: I
• vilja: to want
• dig: you
• åka: to go
• träffa: to meet
• innan: before

Questions & Answers about Innan jag åker, vill jag träffa dig.

Why is it "vill jag" and not "jag vill" after the comma?

Because when a clause or adverbial comes first, Swedish main clauses still obey V2 (verb-second) word order: the finite verb comes second. After Innan jag åker, the next element must be the verb vill, then the subject jag: Innan jag åker vill jag träffa dig. If you put the time clause last, normal order returns: Jag vill träffa dig innan jag åker.

Do I need the comma after the first clause?

No. In modern Swedish the comma after an initial dependent clause is optional, especially when the clause is short. Both Innan jag åker vill jag träffa dig and Innan jag åker, vill jag träffa dig are acceptable; many writers prefer no comma.

Can I put the time clause at the end instead?

Yes: Jag vill träffa dig innan jag åker. This is very common and neutral. Putting Innan jag åker first slightly emphasizes the time frame.

Why is åker present tense if I mean the future?

Swedish often uses present tense for scheduled/near-future events when a time reference is clear: Innan jag åker means (Before I leave). You can also hear Innan jag ska åka or Innan jag kommer att åka, but Innan jag åker is the most natural here.

Where does inte go?

• To negate the main clause: Innan jag åker vill jag inte träffa dig. (I don’t want to meet you before I leave.)
• In a subordinate clause, sentence adverbs like inte come before the verb: eftersom jag inte åker (since I’m not going). With innan, a negated clause is rare, but the word order would be innan jag inte åker if it made sense.

Innan vs före vs förrän?

• innan introduces a clause: Innan jag åker.
• före is a preposition before a noun/NP: före resan (before the trip), före klockan fem.
• förrän means “until” but only after a negation: Jag träffar dig inte förrän i morgon (I won’t meet you until tomorrow).

Should it be åker, går, or reser for “leave/go”?

• åker = go/leave by vehicle or general travel (most common here).
• går = go on foot.
• reser = travel (often longer/formal: Jag reser i morgon). Colloquial: drar (I’m heading out), but åker fits best.

träffa, möta, träffas, or träffa på?

• träffa (någon) = meet someone (usually arranged): Jag vill träffa dig.
• möta (någon) = meet/encounter (often to greet/pick up: möta dig på stationen).
• träffas = meet each other: Kan vi träffas?
• träffa på = bump into by chance: Jag träffade på henne. Note: Jag vill se dig means I want to look at you, not meet you.

Do I need att before träffa?

No. With modal verbs (vill, kan, ska, måste, får, bör) Swedish drops att before the infinitive: vill träffa. Use vill att only when the object is a full clause: Jag vill att du kommer (I want you to come).

Can I omit the second jag?

No. Swedish requires an explicit subject in each clause. Innan jag åker, vill träffa dig is incorrect; you must say … vill jag träffa dig (and V2 demands the inversion).

How do I pronounce it?

• å (in åker) ≈ the vowel in English “more” (without the r).
• ä (in träffa) ≈ e in “bed” (short here because of ff).
• j = y in “yes”: jag ≈ yahg.
• dig sounds like “day” (spelled dig; informal spelling dej mirrors the sound). Stress: IN-nan jag Å-ker, vill jag TRÄF-fa dig.

Is dig the only correct spelling? What about dej?

The standard spelling is dig (and mig). Informal spellings dej/mej are common in texting and casual writing, and the pronunciation matches dej/mej. In formal writing, stick to dig/mig.

Should I use du/dig or the polite ni/er?

Modern Swedish is generally du-based. Use du/dig for one person. ni/er is plural; as a polite singular it appears in some service contexts, but overuse can sound stiff or old-fashioned.

Softer/more polite alternatives to Jag vill träffa dig?

• Jag skulle vilja träffa dig (I would like to meet you).
• Jag vill gärna träffa dig (I’d be happy to meet you).
• Kan vi träffas innan jag åker? (Could we meet before I leave?)

How would this look in the past?

Innan jag åkte ville jag träffa dig (Before I left, I wanted to meet you). With the clause at the end: Jag ville träffa dig innan jag åkte.

Can I say Jag vill träffas here?

Jag vill träffas means “I want us to meet / I want to meet up,” without specifying the person. If you mean this specific person, Jag vill träffa dig is clearer. If both of you are the intended participants, Vill du träffas? is a natural question.