Questions & Answers about Hallå! Är du hemma?
Why is it hemma and not hem?
In Swedish, hemma means "at home" (indicating a stationary location), while hem means "homewards" (indicating direction or movement). Since you are asking if the person is currently located in their house, you use hemma. If you were asking "Are you going home?", you would use hem.
When should I use Hallå instead of just saying Hej?
Hej is the standard, everyday way to say "hello". Hallå is often used when you are trying to get someone's attention, such as calling out to see if anyone is in a house, trying to get the attention of a waiter, or when answering the phone.
Why does the second sentence start with Är?
In Swedish, yes/no questions are formed by putting the verb at the very beginning of the sentence. Just like in English, the verb Är (are) swaps places with the subject du (you) to turn the statement Du är hemma (You are home) into the question Är du hemma? (Are you home?).
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