Learn Hardcore Swedish: Vi sitter i vardagsrummet och pratar tyst. - We are sitting in the living room and speaking quietly.

Swedish often uses posture verbs (sitter, står, ligger) to describe where someone is and what position they are in. Vi sitter ... tells you we are seated; Vi är ... is more neutral. Both are correct, but sitter is more specific and idiomatic here.

What does the pattern sitter ... och pratar express?

This is a very common Swedish way to show an ongoing action in a certain posture. sitter/står/ligger + och + verb ≈ be sitting/standing/lying and doing something. It’s simultaneous, not sequential: we are seated while we talk.

Can I omit och and say Vi sitter i vardagsrummet pratar tyst?

No. You need och to link the two verbs. Without it, the sentence is ungrammatical. A more formal alternative is a medan-clause: Vi sitter i vardagsrummet medan vi pratar tyst, but the och-construction is the natural choice.

Why is it i vardagsrummet and not på vardagsrummet?

For rooms you’re inside, Swedish normally uses i: i köket, i sovrummet, i vardagsrummet. Some places take på idiomatically (e.g., på toaletten, på kontoret), but for a living room, i is the default.

Why does vardagsrummet have that -et ending and no separate article?

Swedish marks definiteness with a suffix on the noun: ett vardagsrum → vardagsrummet (the living room). You only add a separate article when an adjective comes before the noun (double definiteness): i det stora vardagsrummet. Without an adjective, it’s just i vardagsrummet.

What is the word formation and gender of vardagsrummet?

Base noun: ett vardagsrum (neuter)
Definite singular: vardagsrummet
Indefinite plural: vardagsrum
Definite plural: vardagsrummen The linking s in vardagsrum is just a compound linker (not possessive): vardag
- s
  - rum.

Is the word order affected if I move the place to the front?

Yes, Swedish main clauses are verb-second. If you front the place phrase, the finite verb must come next:

I vardagsrummet sitter vi och pratar tyst. Here sitter stays in second position, and vi comes after it.

Why is it tyst and not tysta after pratar?

Because it’s an adverb modifying the verb. Many adverbs are the neuter form of an adjective (ending in -t). tyst works as both adjective (neuter) and adverb. Compare:

Vi är tysta. (adjective, describing us)
Vi pratar tyst. (adverb, describing how we talk)

Can I move tyst around? What about Vi sitter och pratar tyst i vardagsrummet?

Both are fine:

Vi sitter i vardagsrummet och pratar tyst.
Vi sitter och pratar tyst i vardagsrummet. Default information order often favors time–place–manner, but Swedish is flexible. Avoid Vi sitter i vardagsrummet och tyst pratar, which sounds odd.

How do I negate this properly?

Place inte before what you want to negate:

Not talking (at all): Vi sitter i vardagsrummet och pratar inte.
Not talking quietly (i.e., we’re loud): Vi sitter i vardagsrummet och pratar inte tyst. To negate the place: Vi sitter inte i vardagsrummet utan i köket.

Can I use talar instead of pratar?

Yes, but talar is more formal. In everyday speech, pratar is more common. Both can take med: pratar med, talar med.

Would viskar be better if the volume is very low?

Yes. If you mean whisper, use viskar:

Vi sitter i vardagsrummet och viskar.

Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts like och and vardagsrummet?

och is often pronounced like a short o; in casual speech it may sound like just o.
vardagsrummet: main stress on the first syllable. The rd in vard- merges into a retroflex sound in many accents; the u in -rummet is a short front-rounded vowel. Don’t overpronounce the g in the cluster -dagsr-.

How are the verbs sitta and prata conjugated?

sitta: sitter (present), satt (past), suttit (supine)
prata: pratar (present), pratade (past), pratat (supine)

How do I turn the sentence into a yes–no question?

Invert subject and verb:

Sitter ni i vardagsrummet och pratar tyst?

Why is it i soffan but på en stol when talking about sitting?

Idiomatic usage varies with the object:

Sofas/armchairs: often i (sitta i soffan, i fåtöljen) because you’re kind of seated “in” them.
Chairs/benches: typically på (sitta på en stol, på bänken). For rooms like the living room, you’re i vardagsrummet.