Breakdown of Du anger inte destinationen, utan var vi är.
vara
to be
du
you (singular)
vi
we
inte
not
var
where
utan
but rather
ange
to enter / to state, specify
destinationen
the destination (general)
Questions & Answers about Du anger inte destinationen, utan var vi är.
Why use var instead of vart here, even though a destination involves direction?
Even though the first half of the sentence mentions a destination, the second half focuses on our current location: vi är (we are). Because this describes a fixed position rather than movement towards a new place, you must use the positional var (where at) instead of the directional vart (where to).
I thought utan meant 'without'. Why is it translated as 'but rather'?
utan does mean 'without' in many contexts. However, when it follows a negative word like inte, it functions as a conjunction meaning 'but' or 'but rather'. It is used specifically to correct a negative statement: not this, utan (but rather) that.
Does anger mean 'entering' like walking into a building?
No, anger (from the verb att ange) means to state, specify, or enter data, such as typing a location into a GPS. If you want to talk about physically walking into a place, you would use a phrase like går in i.
Why is the word order var vi är instead of var är vi?
In this sentence, var vi är is a subordinate clause (a dependent part of the sentence acting as a noun). In Swedish subordinate clauses, the subject (vi) always comes before the verb (är). This matches the English translation 'where we are' rather than the direct question format 'where are we'.
Learn Du anger inte destinationen, utan var vi är and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free