Kan vi komma in, eller är dörren låst?

Because this is a yes/no question. In Swedish main clauses, the finite verb often comes first in yes/no questions.

• Statement: Vi kan komma in. = We can come in.
• Question: Kan vi komma in? = Can we come in?

The same thing happens in the second part:

• Statement: Dörren är låst.
• Question: Är dörren låst?

So the sentence contains two question-shaped clauses joined by eller.

Kan is the present tense of kunna, which usually means can / be able to.

In this sentence, Kan vi komma in? can mean either:

• Are we able to come in?
• May we come in?

In everyday speech, Swedish kan often covers both ability and permission, just like English can often does.

Because komma in is the natural way to say come in / enter.

• komma = come
• komma in = come in

The little word in is important. Without it, komma just means come, not specifically come inside.

So:

• Kan vi komma? = Can we come?
• Kan vi komma in? = Can we come in?

Not exactly, though they can overlap.

• komma in = come in, get in, enter
• gå in = go in, walk in

Komma in often focuses on entering or moving inside, sometimes toward where the speaker is.
Gå in focuses more on the action of going/walking inside.

At a door, both can be possible depending on context, but Kan vi komma in? is very natural when asking for entry.

Because Swedish usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun.

• en dörr = a door
• dörren = the door

So -en here is the definite ending.

This is very common in Swedish:

• en bok = a book
• boken = the book

Låst is the form used to mean locked. It comes from the verb låsa = to lock.

In är dörren låst?, it works like an adjective or past participle describing the state of the door:

• Dörren är låst. = The door is locked.

So this is describing a resulting state, not the action of locking it at that moment.

Because the second part is also a direct question.

In Swedish, direct yes/no questions normally use verb-first order:

• Är dörren låst? = Is the door locked?

But in a statement, the order is:

• Dörren är låst. = The door is locked.

So after eller, the speaker is asking an alternative question: or is the door locked?

Eller means or.

It connects the two alternatives:

• Kan vi komma in = Can we come in
• eller är dörren låst = or is the door locked

So the speaker is basically saying: Which is it — can we come in, or is the door locked?

Yes, it sounds completely natural and everyday.

It is neutral and common in speech. A Swede could easily say this at someone’s door.

A slightly more formal or polite version might be:

• Får vi komma in? = May we come in?

But Kan vi komma in? is very normal.

The tricky part is the vowel ö.

Dörren is roughly pronounced like DURR-en, but the ö sound is not exactly like any normal English vowel. It is a rounded front vowel, so learners usually need practice to get it right.

A rough guide:

• dörren ≈ DURR-en
• stress is on the first syllable: DÖR-ren

Don’t rely too much on the English spelling approximation, but it can help as a starting point.

The main stress would usually fall on the important content words:

Kan vi komma IN, eller är DÖRRen LÅST?

Typical rhythm:

• Kan vi komma in — rising slightly
• short pause
• eller är dörren låst? — with the main focus often on låst

If the speaker especially suspects the door is locked, låst may get extra emphasis.