Vi står vid dörren.

We are standing by the door.

Breakdown of Vi står vid dörren.

• vi: we
• dörren: the door
• vid: by
• stå: to stand

Questions & Answers about Vi står vid dörren.

Why is it står and not är?

Swedish often uses posture verbs to describe where someone is and in what position:

• stå = stand
• sitta = sit
• ligga = lie (be lying)

So Vi står vid dörren highlights that we are standing. Vi är vid dörren is possible but less specific; it just says we are at the door without telling the posture.

Does Swedish står cover both “we stand” and “we are standing”?

Yes. Swedish has one present tense, so Vi står … can mean both a general or a right-now action. Context decides.

What exactly does vid mean here, and how does it differ from other prepositions?

vid means “at/by/near (close to).” Compare:

• vid dörren = at/by the door (in the vicinity)
• framför dörren = in front of the door (on the side facing it)
• utanför dörren = outside the door (on the outside of the room/building)
• bredvid dörren = beside/next to the door (to the side)
• intill dörren = right up against/very close to the door
• i dörren / i dörröppningen = in the doorway
• på dörren = on the door (e.g., a sign)
• With people use hos: Vi är hos Anna = We’re at Anna’s place.

Could I say i dörren instead of vid dörren?

You can, but it changes the picture:

• Vi står i dörren usually means standing in the doorway, possibly blocking it.
• Vi står i dörröppningen is an even clearer way to say “in the doorway.”
• Vi står vid dörren means near the door, not necessarily in the opening.

Why is it dörren and not dörr or en dörr?

Swedish marks definiteness with a suffix:

• Indefinite: en dörr = a door
• Definite: dörren = the door

So vid dörren = by the door (a specific door). If you mean any door, say vid en dörr. Bare dörr isn’t used here (except in headlines/notes).

Noun forms:

• Singular: en dörr / dörren
• Plural: dörrar / dörrarna

With an adjective you add a determiner too (double definiteness): vid den röda dörren.

How do I pronounce “Vi står vid dörren”?

Approximate: [viː stoːr viːd ˈdœrːɛn]

• vi = “vee” (long i)
• står: å is a long “o” sound (“stoor”)
• vid = “veed” (long i)
• dörren: short ö (like English “bird” but with rounded lips), long rr: “DURR-en” Stress is on the first syllable of dörren. The Swedish r is tapped/rolled in many accents.

How do I put this in the past, perfect, or future?

stå is irregular:

• Infinitive: att stå
• Present: står
• Past: stod
• Supine: stått (with har)

Examples:

• Past: Vi stod vid dörren.
• Perfect: Vi har stått vid dörren i en timme.
• Future: Vi ska stå vid dörren / Vi kommer att stå vid dörren.

How do I negate it or ask a question?

• Negation (main clause): Vi står inte vid dörren. (verb in 2nd position, inte after it)
• Yes/no question: Står vi vid dörren?
• Wh-question (V2 order): Var står vi? / Varför står vi vid dörren?

Is Swedish subject-drop allowed? Could I just say “Står vid dörren”?

No. Swedish generally requires the subject pronoun: Vi står vid dörren. Dropping vi is okay only in commands (Stå vid dörren!) or very telegraphic contexts.

Can står be used for inanimate things too?

Yes. stå often means “to be (standing/located/upright)”:

• Det står en vakt vid dörren. (There is a guard by the door.)
• Det står en lampa i hörnet. (There’s a lamp in the corner.)
• Det står på skylten. (It says so on the sign.)

Is there a nuance between vid, framför, and utanför I should watch for?

Yes:

• vid = at/by (neutral about which side)
• framför = directly in front of the door
• utanför = outside (beyond the door, not inside the room/building) A courier would typically say: Jag står utanför dörren.

Where do time/place words go in the sentence?

Default order is Subject–Verb–(Negation)–Place–Time, but Swedish is V2, so if you front something, the finite verb stays second:

• Neutral: Vi står vid dörren nu.
• Fronted time: Nu står vi vid dörren.
• Fronted place (emphasis): Vid dörren står vi.

Any pitfalls with på vs vid here?

Don’t use på dörren for people standing near it. på dörren means “on the door” (surface), e.g., en lapp på dörren (a note on the door). Use vid/framför/utanför/i dörröppningen for location relative to the door.

What if there are multiple doors?

Use the plural:

• Definite plural: Vi står vid dörrarna = by the doors
• Indefinite plural (less common here): Vi står vid dörrar You can also be specific: Vi står vid ingångsdörrarna.

Are there colloquial variants I might hear?

In casual speech you might hear the definite ending reduced: vid dörr’n (for vid dörren). You may also hear a very light or clipped final consonant across word boundaries in fast speech. Use the full forms when speaking or writing.