Learn Hardcore Swedish: Vänta en minut, jag ska välja en plats.

Vänta is the imperative of vänta (to wait). Swedish uses the bare verb as a command/request. You can soften it: Vänta lite, tack or Kan du vänta en minut?

Do I need a preposition like på after Vänta?

No, not when you’re giving a time to wait: Vänta en minut. Use vänta på when you are waiting for someone/something: Jag väntar på bussen, Vänta på mig!

Why is it en minut and not ett minut?

Because minut is an en‑word (common gender). So it’s en minut, minuten (the minute), minuter (minutes), minuterna (the minutes). By contrast, ögonblick is an ett‑word: ett ögonblick.

Does en minut mean exactly 60 seconds here?

Often it’s just idiomatic for a short time, like English a minute. Alternatives with similar feel:

en sekund (a second; very short)
ett ögonblick (a moment; neutral and common)
en stund (a little while; vaguer/longer)

Should there be i before the duration, like i en minut?

Not in this command. Vänta en minut is the normal way. With statements you may see both, e.g. Han väntade (i) en minut, but after vänta the preposition is often omitted unless you want to emphasize the duration.

What does ska express here?

Ska marks intention or a near‑future plan, roughly English am going to. It can also mark obligation in other contexts (Du ska… = You must/are to), but here it’s intention.

How is ska different from kommer att and tänker?

ska: speaker’s plan/decision or instruction. Jag ska välja en plats = I’ve decided I’m going to choose a spot.
kommer att: neutral prediction. Jag kommer att välja en plats sounds more like a forecast; with volitional verbs it can feel less natural.
tänker: means intend/plan to. Jag tänker välja en plats focuses on the intention in your mind.

Do I ever put att between ska and the verb?

No. Swedish modals never take att before the infinitive. Say ska välja, not ska att välja. Same with kan göra, vill gå, måste läsa, bör komma.

Is the word order Jag ska välja en plats fixed? Where do things like inte go?

Main clauses are verb‑second. Here the finite verb ska comes right after the subject: Jag ska…
Negation goes after the finite verb: Jag ska inte välja en plats.
If you front something, the verb stays second: Om en minut ska jag välja en plats.

Is it okay to have a comma between two full clauses like that?

Yes. Swedish often links short main clauses with a comma. You could also use a period or add så: Vänta en minut, så ska jag välja en plats. All are fine.

What does plats mean here—place or seat?

Both are possible; context decides. Plats can be a spot/location or a seat (e.g., on a train: fönsterplats window seat). If you want to be explicit about a seat, you can say sittplats.

How is plats different from ställe or säte?

plats (en‑word): general place or a seat; common and neutral.
ställe (ett‑word): place/spot in everyday speech for locations/venues (ett bra ställe). Not used for seats.
säte (ett‑word): physical seat (car seat) or figurative seat (of power); not used in this everyday choice.

Why välja en plats and not just välja plats?

Both work.

välja en plats highlights picking one specific spot.
välja plats is more general (choose seating/choose where to sit) and is common in set phrases like välja plats i salen.

What are the definite and plural forms I might need?

en minut – minuten – minuter – minuterna
en plats – platsen – platser – platserna
Verb forms for välja: väljer (present), valde (past), valt (supine), imperative Välj!

Any pronunciation tips for the tricky sounds?

Vänta: ä like the e in English bed; stress on the first syllable.
jag: often pronounced like ya in casual speech; the final g may be weak or silent.
ska: as written, short a.
välja: say VEL‑ya; the lj is pronounced l + y sound.
minut: stress the second syllable; u is the Swedish front‑rounded vowel (like German Ü).
plats: clear final ts.

Why isn’t jag capitalized like English I?

Swedish does not capitalize personal pronouns, so jag is lowercase unless it starts a sentence.

Is skall acceptable instead of ska?

Yes, skall is the older/very formal form. In modern everyday Swedish, ska is overwhelmingly preferred; skall appears in legal or very formal writing.

What are some natural alternatives to the whole sentence?

Vänta lite, jag ska välja plats.
Ett ögonblick, jag ska bara välja en plats.
Ge mig en sekund, jag ska välja en plats.
Vänta en sekund, så väljer jag plats.