Vi träffas i centrum ikväll.

We are meeting in the city center tonight.

Breakdown of Vi träffas i centrum ikväll.

• i: in
• vi: we
• ikväll: tonight
• centrumet: the city center
• träffas: to meet

Questions & Answers about Vi träffas i centrum ikväll.

Why is it träffas and not träffa?

• Träffas is the -s (mediopassive/reciprocal) form meaning “meet each other.” It does not take a direct object.
• Träffa is transitive and needs an object: Vi träffar dem (We meet them).
• You can also say Vi träffar varandra i centrum ikväll (We meet each other…), which is equivalent to Vi träffas…

Can I say Vi träffar ikväll to mean “We’re meeting tonight”?

No. Träffa needs an object. Say either:

• Vi träffas ikväll, or
• Vi träffar varandra ikväll

Why is the present tense used for a future event?

Swedish often uses the present with a time adverbial to talk about scheduled or arranged future events: Vi träffas … ikväll. You can also use:

• Vi ska träffas ikväll (plan/intention)
• Vi kommer att träffas ikväll (more of a prediction)

Is the word order fixed? Can I say Ikväll träffas vi i centrum or Vi träffas ikväll i centrum?

• All of these are acceptable; word order is flexible for time/place adverbials.
• Fronting time is very natural: Ikväll träffas vi i centrum. Remember Swedish V2: the finite verb (träffas) must be in second position after a fronted element.
• Both i centrum ikväll and ikväll i centrum occur; choose the one that sounds most natural in context or gives the emphasis you want.

Why is it i centrum and not på centrum?

With centrum (city center/downtown), the standard preposition is i. You’ll also hear:

• på stan (in town/downtown, very common colloquial)
• i stan (also common) But på centrum is generally not idiomatic.

Do I need an article? Why not i centrumet?

• I centrum is a set phrase meaning “in the city center,” no article.
• I centrumet would refer to a specific “center” (e.g., a particular mall/shopping center), not the downtown area in general.

What gender is centrum?

It’s an ett-word: ett centrum (indefinite), centrumet (definite). In the fixed location phrase i centrum, no article is used.

Is ikväll one word or two (i kväll)?

Both ikväll and i kväll are accepted in modern Swedish. Style guides differ; everyday writing often prefers the one-word forms, while some formal styles keep them separate. Be consistent within a text.

How do you pronounce the sentence?

Approximate IPA: [viː ˈtrɛfːas iː ˈsɛntrʉm ɪˈkvɛlː]

• vi: [viː] (long i)
• träffas: [ˈtrɛfːas]; ä like the e in “bed”; double ff makes the vowel short
• centrum: [ˈsɛntrʉm]; u is the Swedish front rounded [ʉ] (like French u)
• ikväll: [ɪˈkvɛlː]; double ll = long l; stress on the second syllable

Could I use ses or möts instead of träffas?

• Vi ses i centrum ikväll = “We’ll see each other…” (very common and casual).
• Vi möts i centrum ikväll = “We meet each other…” (often a bit more formal or symmetrical, e.g., two parties meeting). All three work; träffas is the most neutral for “meet.”

Does ikväll mean “this evening” or “tonight”? What about i natt?

• Ikväll = this evening/tonight (roughly late afternoon/evening until bedtime).
• I natt = tonight (the night hours), i.e., after late evening and into the night.

How do I turn it into a question or a suggestion?

• Yes/no question by inversion: Träffas vi i centrum ikväll?
• Polite suggestion: Ska vi träffas i centrum ikväll?

Where would a clock time go?

Common and natural options include:

• Vi träffas i centrum klockan sju ikväll.
• Ikväll klockan sju träffas vi i centrum. Swedish allows flexibility; keep time expressions close together for clarity.