Learn Hardcore Swedish: Vi städar hemma nu, och hon städar fortfarande köket. - We are cleaning at home now, and she is still cleaning the kitchen.

Swedish has no separate continuous/progressive tense. The simple present covers both a general/habitual meaning and an ongoing action. So Vi städar can mean either “we clean” or “we are cleaning,” and context or time adverbs (like nu “now”) make it clear.

If you want to emphasize the ongoing process, you can use:

Vi håller på att städa hemma nu.
Hon håller fortfarande på att städa köket.

Where should fortfarande (“still”) go in the clause with hon?

Neutral word order places it after the verb: Hon städar fortfarande köket (Subject – Verb – Adverb – Object). You can also say Hon städar köket fortfarande, which is fine but slightly more afterthought/contrastive. Avoid Hon fortfarande städar köket; in main clauses the finite verb must be in second position (the V2 rule), so städar must follow hon directly.

Why is köket in the definite form?

Because it’s a specific, contextually known kitchen (the one at home). Swedish prefers the definite form for specific, identifiable items: köket = “the kitchen.” You could say vårt kök (“our kitchen”) if you want to make possession explicit, but köket already implies the known kitchen.

What’s the difference between hemma, hem, hemmet, and hemma hos?

hemma: “at home” (location). Ex: Vi är hemma.
hem: “home” as a direction. Ex: Vi går hem (“We’re going home”). No preposition needed.
hemmet: “the home” as a noun (a specific home; also used for institutions like care homes depending on context).
hemma hos [någon]: “at [someone’s] place.” Ex: hemma hos oss, hemma hos Ali.

Is Vi städar hemma nu the best word order? What about Vi städar nu hemma or Nu städar vi hemma?

Vi städar hemma nu is natural and common. Adverbials are flexible, and short time adverbs like nu often come last.

Nu städar vi hemma puts focus on “now” and is also very natural.
Vi städar nu hemma is possible but less typical in neutral style. Stick to the first two in most cases.

Do we need the comma before och?

No. Standard Swedish usually omits the comma before och when linking two main clauses: Vi städar hemma nu och hon städar fortfarande köket. A comma can be used for clarity in long or complex sentences, but it’s not required here.

Is there a difference between städa köket and städa i köket?

Yes:

städa köket: clean the kitchen itself (treats the kitchen as the object to be cleaned).
städa i köket: do cleaning in the kitchen (the cleaning takes place there but might target things located in the kitchen rather than the kitchen as a whole). Both can be correct depending on what you mean.

How do I say “still not” vs “no longer” in this context?

fortfarande inte = “still not.” Ex: Hon städar fortfarande inte köket (“She still isn’t cleaning the kitchen,” implying she hasn’t started).
inte längre = “no longer.” Ex: Hon städar inte längre köket (“She no longer cleans the kitchen,” implying she used to but has stopped). For simple negation: Vi städar inte hemma nu.

Could I say just nu instead of nu? What about nu för tiden?

just nu = “right now/this very moment,” stronger than nu. Ex: Vi städar hemma just nu.
nu = “now,” general and very common.
nu för tiden / nuförtiden = “these days/nowadays,” not about this moment. Ex: Nu för tiden städar vi oftare.

Do I have to repeat städar in the second clause, or can I drop it?

You should repeat it. Swedish normally does not drop the verb across coordinated clauses. Vi städar hemma nu, och hon städar fortfarande köket is correct. Writing … och hon fortfarande köket (omitting städar) is ungrammatical.

Any quick pronunciation tips for städar, hemma, fortfarande, köket?

ä (as in städar) sounds like the vowel in English bed, often a bit longer.
ö (as in köket) is like the vowel in British nurse, but with rounded lips.
k before front vowels (e, i, y, ä, ö) is often the soft “tj” sound [ɕ]. So kök- in köket starts with a soft “ch”-like sound.
Word stress: STÄ-dar, HEM-ma, FORT-far-an-de, KÖ-ket (primary stress on the first syllable in each).

How does städa conjugate, and are there useful related expressions?

Infinitive: städa
Present: städar
Past (preterite): städade
Supine (with har/hade): städat
Imperative: städa!

Useful related verbs/phrases:

städa upp (tidy up, clean up)
göra rent (make clean)
rengöra (clean, often more technical)
Progressive feel: hålla på att städa (“be in the middle of cleaning”)