Breakdown of Vi är inte på teatern, utan på bion.
vara
to be
vi
we
inte
not
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
Questions & Answers about Vi är inte på teatern, utan på bion.
Why is utan used here instead of men for "but"?
In Swedish, when you want to say "not [this], but rather [that]", you must use utan. You use utan to correct a negative statement. If you are just connecting two regular ideas with "but", you use men.
Do I have to repeat the preposition på after utan?
It is highly recommended and sounds much more natural. Just like in English, repeating the preposition clarifies the contrast: på teatern, utan på bion.
Why do we use the preposition på here instead of i (in)?
In Swedish, på is commonly used for public venues, events, and institutions where you go for a specific activity, like på bion (at the cinema), på teatern (at the theater), or på banken (at the bank).
How does the word bio become bion in the definite form?
Bio (which is short for the word biograf) is an en-word. Because it already ends in a vowel, you just add -n to make it definite ("the cinema"), giving us bion.