Questions & Answers about Vi reser inte till Tyskland i helgen, utan till Spanien.
Why do we use utan here instead of men for "but"?
In Swedish, utan means "but rather" or "but instead." It is specifically used after a negative statement (like Vi reser inte) to correct it and offer the true alternative. If you use men (but), it just adds contrasting information, whereas utan replaces the first idea completely.
Why is "this weekend" translated as i helgen?
In Swedish, using the preposition i followed by a time noun in its definite ("the") form is a common way to say "this current/upcoming [time]". Helg means weekend, so its definite form is helgen, making i helgen mean "this weekend".
Do I have to repeat the word till after utan?
Yes, it is highly recommended. While in English you might say "not to Germany, but Spain", Swedish prefers a balanced structure. Since you said till Tyskland in the first half, you should match it with till Spanien in the second half.
What happens to the word order if I put i helgen at the very beginning of the sentence?
Swedish uses the V2 rule, meaning the verb is always the second block of information. If you start with the time (I helgen), the verb (reser) must come right after it, before the subject. It would become: I helgen reser vi inte till Tyskland, utan till Spanien.