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Questions & Answers about Vi kommer om fem minuter.
What does the preposition om mean here?
In time expressions, om means “in (from now).” So om fem minuter = “in five minutes.” Note that om is polysemous:
- Time from now: om en timme = in an hour
- About: en bok om Sverige = a book about Sweden
- If: om det regnar = if it rains
Why is the present tense kommer used to talk about the future?
Swedish often uses the present tense for near-future or scheduled events. Vi kommer om fem minuter is the idiomatic way to say “We’ll be there in five minutes.” You can also use:
- Vi ska vara där om fem minuter (intention/plan)
- Vi kommer att vara där om fem minuter (prediction) Avoid the clunky Vi kommer att komma om fem minuter; with motion verbs, plain kommer is better.
Does Vi kommer om fem minuter mean “we arrive in five minutes” or “we start coming in five minutes”?
It typically means arrival in five minutes. If you mean you’ll set off in five minutes, say Vi åker om fem minuter (we leave/go in five minutes) or Vi går om fem minuter (we’re leaving on foot in five minutes).
Can I move the time phrase to the beginning?
Yes. Swedish main clauses follow the V2 rule (the finite verb is in second position). Both are correct:
- Vi kommer om fem minuter.
- Om fem minuter kommer vi.
Where does negation go?
In main clauses, inte comes after the finite verb:
- Vi kommer inte om fem minuter. If you mean “not until,” use förrän: Vi kommer inte förrän om fem minuter.
Do I need to add a destination like “to you / to the office”?
Only if context doesn’t make it clear. Add a place with till, or use place adverbs:
- Vi kommer till dig om fem minuter.
- Vi kommer till kontoret om fem minuter.
- Vi kommer hem/dit om fem minuter.
What’s the difference between om fem minuter, i fem minuter, på fem minuter, and “ago”?
- om fem minuter = in five minutes (from now)
- i fem minuter = for five minutes (duration): Jag väntade i fem minuter.
- på fem minuter = in/within five minutes (time needed to complete something): Jag gjorde det på fem minuter.
- “five minutes ago” = för fem minuter sedan
Why is it minuter and not singular minut?
Numbers greater than one take the plural. Forms of “minute”:
- Singular: en minut
- Plural indefinite: minuter (e.g., fem minuter)
- Definite: minuten / minuterna
Does Swedish have a special “-ing” form like “are coming”?
No. Swedish doesn’t have a separate continuous tense. The present kommer covers “come,” “are coming,” and near-future “will come,” depending on context.
How do I ask “Are you coming in five minutes?”
Use inversion for yes/no questions:
- To one person: Kommer du om fem minuter?
- To several people (or polite plural): Kommer ni om fem minuter?
How can I make it approximate, like “about five minutes”?
Insert an approximator:
- Vi kommer om ungefär fem minuter.
- Vi kommer om cirka fem minuter. Very soon: Vi kommer strax.
Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?
- kommer: short “o” (like “cot”), double m indicates the vowel before it is short; stress on the first syllable: KOM-mer.
- om: short “o” as in kommer.
- fem: like English “fehm.”
- minuter: stress on the second syllable: mi-NU-ter; the u is a long, rounded sound (Swedish “u”).
Do verbs change with the person (I/you/we)?
No. Present-tense verbs have one form for all persons:
- jag/du/han/hon/den/det/vi/ni/de kommer
Can I say “We’ll be there in five minutes” another way?
Yes:
- Vi är där om fem minuter.
- Vi är framme om fem minuter. (focus on arrival; very natural)
Is om ever confused with “in” the location sense?
Yes—don’t use om for places. For locations use i/på (e.g., i bilen, på kontoret). Om with time means “in (from now),” not “in” a place.
Is it okay to front the time and keep everything else?
Yes, just remember inversion:
- Om fem minuter kommer vi (till dig). Keeping the verb in second position is key.