Jag kom precis hem.

I just got home.

Breakdown of Jag kom precis hem.

• jag: I
• komma: to come
• hem: home
• precis: just

Questions & Answers about Jag kom precis hem.

Why is it past tense (kom) instead of present perfect (har kommit)?

Both are possible in Swedish:

• Jag kom precis hem. = I just got home. (preterite; very common in speech with time words like precis/nyss)
• Jag har precis kommit hem. = I have just gotten home. (present perfect; highlights the result/state now)

Nuance: the preterite feels a bit more narrative/casual; the present perfect emphasizes the current relevance. Both are natural.

Where can I put precis in the sentence? Is Jag kom hem precis okay?

• Most common: Jag kom precis hem.
• Also heard (colloquial): Jag kom hem precis.
• Perfect tense: Jag har precis kommit hem.
• With a fronted adverb for emphasis (V2 rule): Precis kom jag hem. (grammatical but marked/emphatic)
• Not idiomatic: Jag precis kom hem. (violates verb-second; the finite verb should be in second position)

What’s the difference between hem and hemma?

• hem = direction (to home). Use it with motion/arrival verbs: gå/åka/komma hem.
• hemma = location (at home). Use it with stative verbs: vara/stanna/plugga hemma. Examples:
• Jag kom precis hem. (I just arrived home.)
• Jag är hemma. (I am at home.)

Does precis mean “exactly” too, or only “just (now)”?

Both. In this sentence it means “just (now).” It can also mean “exactly/right”:

• Time: Jag kom precis hem. (just now)
• Exactness: Jag kom hem precis klockan fem. (exactly at five)
• Other: Det var precis vad jag behövde. (exactly what I needed)

Can I use nyss, just, or nyligen instead of precis?

Yes, with small nuance differences:

• nyss = just a moment ago: Jag kom nyss hem.
• just = just/precis (natural in Swedish): Jag kom just hem.
• nyligen = recently (less immediate): Jag kom hem nyligen.
• Stronger emphasis: alldeles nyss = just now: Jag kom hem alldeles nyss.

How do I turn it into a yes/no question?

Use verb-first (V1) word order:

• Preterite: Kom du precis hem?
• Present perfect: Har du precis kommit hem? Typical answers:
• Ja, det gjorde jag. / Ja, det har jag.
• Nej, jag kom hem för en stund sedan.

Why is there no preposition before hem (not till hem)?

Here hem is an adverb meaning “(to) home,” so no preposition is used: komma hem, gå hem, åka hem.
Use hem till when you specify whose place: Jag kom hem till Anna (I came to Anna’s place), Vi gick hem till mig.

How do I pronounce the sentence?

Approximate:

• Jag ≈ “yah” (many say just “ja” in casual speech)
• kom ≈ “kom” with a short o (like British “cot” but rounded)
• precis ≈ “pre-SEES” (stress on the second syllable; long i)
• hem ≈ “hem” (short e) Together, smoothly: “yah kom pre-SEES hem.” IPA (approx.): [jɑ(ː) kɔm preˈsiːs hɛm]

Is kom here the same form as the imperative Kom!?

They’re spelled and pronounced the same, but differ by function:

• Past tense: Jag kom precis hem. (I came)
• Imperative: Kom! (Come!)
  You tell them apart by context and word order.

How would I negate it to say “I didn’t just get home”?

Avoid inte precis because it often means “not exactly.” Prefer:

• Jag kom inte nyss hem.
• Jag har inte nyss kommit hem.
• Or be explicit: Jag kom hem för ett tag sedan. (I got home a while ago)

Can I front precis for emphasis?

Yes, but it’s marked and less common in everyday speech:

• Precis kom jag hem. (emphatic; still obeys V2: verb is second) More natural emphasis is usually achieved by stress in speech: Jag kom PREcis hem.

What are some closely related expressions?

• Arrival in general: Jag kom fram. / Jag kom fram till Stockholm.
• From somewhere: Jag kom precis från jobbet. (I just came from work)
• Adjectival: Jag är precis hemkommen. (I’ve just arrived home; a bit formal)