Vi går till biblioteket istället.

We go to the library instead.

Breakdown of Vi går till biblioteket istället.

• gå: to go
• till: to
• biblioteket: the library
• vi: we
• istället: instead

Questions & Answers about Vi går till biblioteket istället.

Does går mean “go” or “walk”?

Both, depending on context. In everyday speech:

• gå(r) usually implies going on foot: Vi går till biblioteket suggests walking.
• If you’re traveling by vehicle, use åka(r): Vi åker till biblioteket.
• Note: gå also has other meanings like “to work/turn out” (e.g., Det går bra), but not here.

Can the present tense går refer to the future (“we’re going”)?

Yes. Swedish often uses the present for near-future plans:

• Vi går till biblioteket imorgon. = We’re going to the library tomorrow.
• To make intention explicit, use ska: Vi ska gå till biblioteket.

Why is it till and not på or i?

• till = movement to a destination: gå/åka till biblioteket.
• på/i = location (being at/in a place):
  • Vi är på biblioteket. (at the library, general/institutional)
  • Vi är i biblioteket. (inside the library building) So you go till a place, then you are på/i it.

Why is it biblioteket (definite) and not just bibliotek?

Swedish marks “the” with a suffix. biblioteket = “the library.” Use the definite when a specific/library-known-from-context is meant (often “the local library”). A bare bibliotek would be ungrammatical here; if you mean “a library,” say ett bibliotek.

Can I say Vi går till ett bibliotek?

Yes, but it changes the meaning to “We’re going to a library (unspecified).” Most of the time you mean the specific/known library, hence biblioteket. Never say Vi går till bibliotek (missing article/suffix).

Where can I put istället in the sentence?

Several positions are natural, with slight differences in emphasis:

• Vi går istället till biblioteket. (canonical mid-field adverb placement)
• Vi går till biblioteket istället. (afterthought/whole-clause focus)
• Istället går vi till biblioteket. (fronted contrast; strong emphasis on “instead”) All are correct; Swedish keeps the finite verb in 2nd position (see V2 below).

Is it one word (istället) or two (i stället)?

Both are correct in modern Swedish. i stället is a bit more formal/traditional; istället is very common in everyday writing. If you add för (“instead of”), both i stället för and istället för are accepted.

How do I say “instead of [X]”?

Use i stället för (+ noun/verb):

• Vi går till biblioteket i stället för parken.
• Vi går till biblioteket i stället för att gå till parken.

How do I express “not X but Y instead”?

Use inte … utan … (i stället):

• Vi går inte till parken utan (i stället) till biblioteket. Often utan already implies “instead,” so i stället is optional.

What about the V2 (verb-second) rule here?

Swedish main clauses keep the finite verb in 2nd position:

• Vi går till biblioteket i stället. (Subject first, verb second)
• Istället går vi till biblioteket. (Adverb first, verb second, subject third) Your sentence follows V2 properly.

Pronunciation tips?

• Vi: like “vee.”
• går: long vowel; roughly “gohr.” Swedish å is like the vowel in “awe/more.” The r is pronounced.
• till: “til.” The double l lengthens the consonant slightly.
• biblioteket: “bib-lee-o-TEEK-et,” main stress on the “-tek-” syllable. The k here is a hard k (not “sh”).
• istället: “ee-STEH-lett,” with ä like the vowel in “bed.”

Why isn’t there a separate word for “the” before biblioteket?

Swedish typically attaches the definite article as a suffix:

• ett bibliotek (a library)
• biblioteket (the library)
• bibliotek (libraries)
• biblioteken (the libraries)

Can I omit till and say Vi går biblioteket?

No. You need till to mark the destination. One exception to note: with hem (“home”), Swedish omits till because hem already implies direction:

• Vi går hem. but Vi går till biblioteket.

Could I use åker instead of går?

Yes, if you mean you’re traveling by some vehicle:

• Vi åker till biblioteket. (by bus/car/train, etc.)
• Vi går till biblioteket. (on foot, or simply “are going” if the mode is irrelevant/contextual)

When do I use på biblioteket vs i biblioteket once I’m there?

• på biblioteket is the most common for “at the library” (institutional/overall location).
• i biblioteket emphasizes being inside the building/interior space. Both are fine; choose based on what you want to highlight.