Learn Hardcore Swedish: Förlåt, jag hörde inte vad du sa.

Förlåt is an apology: “Sorry.” It’s perfect when you didn’t catch something someone said.
Ursäkta is “Excuse me.” It’s used to get attention or to excuse yourself; it also works here: Ursäkta, jag hörde inte …
Adding mig (e.g., Förlåt mig, Ursäkta mig) is a bit more formal/emphatic.
All are polite; Förlåt sounds a touch more apologetic, Ursäkta a touch more practical/neutral.

Why is inte placed after hörde in Jag hörde inte?

In a main clause, Swedish typically puts the finite verb in second position (V2) and sentence adverbs like inte right after it: Jag [hörde] [inte] …
If you front something else, the verb stays second and inte still follows the verb: Idag hörde jag inte …

Why is it vad du sa and not vad sa du?

Vad du sa is a subordinate clause (object clause): “what you said.” In subordinate clauses, the order is subject before the verb: [vad] [du] [sa].
Vad sa du? is a direct question, so you get inversion: verb before subject.
Compare: Jag undrar vad du sa vs. direct Vad sa du?

Is sa correct, or should it be sade?

Both are correct past-tense forms of säga (“to say”): sa and sade.
Sa is everyday and most common in speech. Sade is more formal or written style. Meaning is identical.

Why past tense hörde? When would I use present tense instead?

Jag hörde inte vad du sa = “I didn’t hear what you said” (a completed event, e.g., just now).
Use present if it’s ongoing: Jag hör inte vad du säger = “I can’t hear what you’re saying (right now).”

Could I use the perfect: Jag har inte hört …?

Possible but less common in this immediate “please repeat” context.
Jag har inte hört vad du sa focuses on the result up to now (“I still haven’t heard what you said”). It’s fine, but most people simply say the preterite: Jag hörde inte …

If I want to say “what you didn’t say,” where does inte go?

In subordinate clauses, put inte after the subject and before the verb: vad du inte sa.
Wrong: vad du sa inte.
Example: Jag hörde vad du inte sa = “I heard what you didn’t say” (rhetorical).

How do I pronounce the sentence naturally?

Förlåt: stress on the second syllable; ö like French “eu,” å like the vowel in “law” but longer.
jag: often sounds like “yah” (the final g is weak or dropped in many accents).
hörde: ö as above; the rd often merges into a single retroflex sound; final -e like a short “eh.”
inte: “IN-teh.”
vad: often said “va” in casual speech.
du: Swedish u is a front rounded vowel (like German “ü”).
sa: “sah” with a long vowel.

Is the comma after Förlåt required?

It’s standard to set off an interjection with a comma: Förlåt, …
You’ll also hear it as a pause in speech. In informal writing, some people omit it, but the comma is good style.

Why isn’t jag capitalized like English I?

Swedish doesn’t capitalize jag unless it starts a sentence. Ordinary pronouns are lower case in the middle of a sentence.

Should I use du or Ni for “you” here?

du is the normal singular “you” in modern Swedish.
Ni is plural “you,” and sometimes a formal singular in service contexts. As a learner, default to du in everyday situations.

What are some natural alternatives to ask for a repeat?

Does Jag hörde inget mean the same thing?

What’s the difference between hörde and lyssnade?

Any common mistakes to avoid with this sentence?

Don’t say: Jag hörde inte vad sa du (wrong order). Say: … vad du sa.
Don’t say: Jag inte hörde; the verb comes before inte in main clauses: Jag hörde inte.
Avoid overusing singular Ni; use du unless you mean plural or are in a specific formal context.
In writing, avoid va; use vad. In speech, va is common.

What are the key forms of säga and höra?

säga (to say): present säger, past sa/sade, supine sagt, imperative säg.
höra (to hear): present hör, past hörde, supine hört, imperative hör.

Could I say det du sa instead of vad du sa?

Yes. det du sa literally “that which you said,” very natural: Jag hörde inte det du sa.
vad du sa is equally natural. Both mean “what you said.”