Learn Swedish: När är festen? - When is the party?

Swedish uses a strict rule where the verb is almost always the second block of information in a sentence. When you start with a question word like När (when), the verb är (is) has to come immediately next. This happens to match English perfectly here!

Why does the word for party end in -en here (festen)?

In Swedish, you do not use a separate word for 'the'. Instead, you attach an ending to the noun. Since party is an 'en' word (en fest), you add -en to the end to get festen (the party).

Can När be used for any type of 'when' question?

Yes, at this level! När is the exact question word you need when asking about time. You will use it to ask when events happen, when places open, or when someone is arriving.

How should I pronounce När?

The ä in När sounds similar to the vowel in the English word 'air'. Also, in natural spoken Swedish, the r at the end is often very soft or sometimes dropped completely.