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Vi ska till förfesten nu.

Vi ska till förfesten nu.
We are heading to the pre-party now.
From Lesson 403:Dropping the motion verb (ska ut, måste hem)·Swedish

Questions & Answers about Vi ska till förfesten nu.

Why is there no verb for "go" between ska and till?
This is a classic Swedish shortcut! When a modal verb like ska (will/shall) or vill (want to) is followed by a directional word like till (to), the verb of motion is usually dropped. It is perfectly natural to leave out verbs like gå (walk/go) or åka (travel) when the destination makes the movement obvious.
Can I still include a motion verb if I want to, such as gå or åka?
Yes, you absolutely can. Saying Vi ska gå till förfesten or Vi ska åka till förfesten is grammatically correct. You usually only add the motion verb if you want to emphasize exactly how you are getting there (by foot vs. by vehicle). Otherwise, dropping it is the most common choice.
What exactly is a förfest?
It translates directly to "pre-party." In Sweden, alcohol at bars and clubs is quite expensive, so it is a strong cultural tradition to gather at someone's home to drink and socialize before heading out for the night. The opposite, an after-party, is called an efterfest.
Could I move nu to the beginning of the sentence?
Yes, putting the time marker first is very common if you want to emphasize that it is happening right now. Just remember the V2 rule (verb in second position). If you start with Nu, the subject and verb must swap places to keep the verb second, resulting in: Nu ska vi till förfesten.

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