Learn Hardcore Swedish: Han lagar mat i sitt kök.

Lagar is the present tense of the verb att laga, which in this context means "cooks". Although att laga can also mean "fix" or "repair" in other contexts, here the object mat (food) makes it clear that it means "to cook".

Why is the reflexive possessive adjective sitt used instead of something like hans?

In Swedish, when the possessor is also the subject of the sentence, you use a reflexive possessive pronoun (sin/sitt/sina) instead of a non-reflexive one (hans/hennes). Here, sitt is used because Han (he) is the subject, and the kitchen belongs to him. Additionally, sitt agrees with the neuter noun köket (the kitchen).

How is the definite form of kök transformed into köket?

Swedish generally forms the definite singular of nouns by adding a suffix. For neuter nouns like kök, the ending -et is added, resulting in köket (which means "the kitchen"). This is different from English, where we use a separate word (the) to indicate definiteness.

What is the word order in the sentence Han lagar mat i sitt kök?

The sentence follows the typical Swedish word order similar to English. Han is the subject, lagar is the verb, and mat is the object. The phrase i sitt kök is an adverbial phrase detailing the location. So the structure is Subject – Verb – Object – Adverbial phrase.

Does the verb lagar change form depending on the subject in Swedish?

No, in Swedish the present tense form of most verbs stays the same regardless of the subject. Whether the subject is Jag (I), du (you), han (he), vi (we), or any other pronoun, you still use lagar when talking about someone cooking in the present tense.