In English, we usually ask "Where?" whether we want to know a person's current location or their destination. Swedish makes a strict distinction between the two: var means "where at" (position), and vart means "where to" (direction).
Var (Where at)
Use var when you are asking about a fixed location. If someone or something is stationary, or you are talking about where an event is happening without movement toward a new place, var is the word you need.
| Where is the taxi? The driver is waiting for us. | Var är taxin? Chauffören väntar på oss. |
| Where is the luggage? It is lying in the backseat. | Var är bagaget? Det ligger i baksätet. |
| Where are we? The route crosses a river here. | Var är vi? Rutten korsar en flod här. |
Vart (Where to)
Use vart when you are asking about a destination or movement toward a place. You will usually see it paired with verbs of motion, or the auxiliary verb ska (which often implies "going to" even without a main verb).
| Where is the taxi going? You must enter the destination in the app. | Vart ska taxin? Du måste ange destinationen i appen. |
| Are we going to rideshare? Where is the other passenger going? | Ska vi samåka? Vart ska den andra passageraren? |
| Where does this shortcut go? It crosses the square. | Vart går den här genvägen? Den korsar torget. |
Var vs. Vart in the Wild
It is very common to need both words when navigating a ride across town. Remember: var is the pickup point or current location, and vart is the drop-off destination.
| Where is the taxi now, and where is it going? | Var är taxin nu, och vart ska den? |
| Where is the taxi, and where is the luggage going? | Var står taxin, och vart ska bagaget? |
| You are not entering the destination, but rather where we are. | Du anger inte destinationen, utan var vi är. |