Learn Hardcore Swedish: Jag vill duscha nu, badrummet är ledigt. - I want to shower now, the bathroom is free.

In Swedish, modal verbs like vill (want), ska (will/going to), kan (can), måste (must), and bör (should) take an infinitive without att. So you say Jag vill duscha, not “Jag vill att duscha.”

Correct: Jag vill duscha nu.
Contrast: When the complement is a full clause, you do use att: Jag vill att du duschar nu.

Could I say Jag skulle vilja duscha nu or Nu ska jag duscha instead? What’s the nuance?

Jag vill duscha nu = direct, simple “I want to shower now.”
Jag skulle vilja duscha nu = more polite/softer, like “I’d like to shower now.”
Nu ska jag duscha = “I’m going to shower now”; sounds like a decided plan or immediate intention.
Jag tänker duscha nu = “I’m intending to shower now”; can sound slightly firm/insistent.
Jag måste duscha nu = “I have to shower now.”

Do I need a noun like “take a shower,” or is duscha enough? And do I need a reflexive pronoun?

Swedish commonly uses the verb on its own: Jag vill duscha nu.
You can also say Jag vill ta en dusch nu (take a shower); both are natural.
Do not use a reflexive here; Swedish doesn’t say “duscha mig.” Just duscha.

Word order: Can I move nu to the front? Is Jag vill nu duscha okay?

Both Jag vill duscha nu and Nu vill jag duscha are idiomatic. The second follows the V2 rule (finite verb in second position) with nu in first position.
Jag vill nu duscha is grammatical but sounds formal or stilted in everyday speech. Prefer Jag vill duscha nu or Nu vill jag duscha.

How do I negate it? Where does inte go?

Place inte after the finite verb vill:

Jag vill inte duscha nu. With nu first: Nu vill jag inte duscha.

Why is it badrummet with double m, and why the ending -et?

Badrum is a neuter noun (ett-ord): ett badrum → definite singular badrummet (ending -et marks definite neuter).
The double m comes from the head noun rum: ett rum → rummet. In compounds, the head decides inflection, so badrum → badrummet.

Why ledigt and not ledig in badrummet är ledigt?

Adjectives in predicative position agree with the noun’s gender/number:

Neuter singular (ett-ord): add -t → ledigt. Example: Rummet är ledigt.
Common gender (en-ord): base form → ledig. Example: Dörren är ledig.
Plural: -a → lediga. Example: Rummen är lediga.

Does ledig just mean “free”? How is it different from fri and gratis?

ledig = unoccupied/available or off-duty: badrummet är ledigt (the bathroom is free), Jag är ledig idag (I have the day off).
fri = free as in unrestricted/liberated: rökfri zon (smoke-free zone), fri att gå (free to go).
gratis = free of charge: Kaffet är gratis. For a free bathroom, use ledig, not fri or gratis.

Is the comma between the two clauses acceptable in Swedish?

A comma between two short, closely related main clauses is common in informal Swedish, but many style guides prefer a period, a semicolon, or a conjunction in careful writing. Alternatives:

Jag vill duscha nu. Badrummet är ledigt.
Jag vill duscha nu; badrummet är ledigt.
Jag vill duscha nu eftersom badrummet är ledigt.

How do I ask “Is the bathroom free?” in Swedish?

Two natural options:

Är badrummet ledigt?
Är det ledigt i badrummet? (literally “Is it free in the bathroom?”)

Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts like duscha, är, and jag?

jag: often pronounced like “yah” in everyday speech; the final g is frequently very soft or dropped.
duscha: the sch gives the Swedish “sj-sound” (a husky sh); think “DUSH-a” with a deep sh; the first vowel is short.
är: the ä is like a long “eh” (as in “bed” but longer).
badrummet: stress on the first syllable of bad; the double m makes the m sound clearly long.
ledigt: pronounce the final t; the e is like “eh.”

What if I want to be extra polite or tentative, like “I was thinking of showering now—okay?”

Good softeners:

Jag tänkte duscha nu. (I was thinking of showering now.)
Är det okej om jag duschar nu?
Skulle det gå bra att jag duschar nu?
Jag skulle vilja duscha nu, om det passar.

Can I use för att to mean “because” here?

You’ll hear för att used as “because” in speech, but it’s also the marker for “in order to,” so it can be ambiguous in writing. Safer:

Jag vill duscha nu eftersom badrummet är ledigt. If you do use för att = because, the same sentence is understandable, but eftersom is clearer.

Should I say badrummet or toaletten?

badrummet = the bathroom (often includes shower/bath, and in many homes also the toilet).
toaletten (colloquial: toan) = the toilet/WC specifically. If you mean the room with the shower is free, badrummet är ledigt is perfect. If you only mean the WC, say toaletten är ledig.

Can I make the causal link more explicit with “now that”?

Yes: Jag vill duscha nu när badrummet är ledigt. (“I want to shower now that the bathroom is free.”) This highlights the reason–timing connection.