Learn Hardcore Swedish: Kan du vara tyst, snälla? Jag vill inte störa dem. - Can you be quiet, please? I do not want to disturb them.

Snälla literally means kind, but used on its own it works as please. It’s an interjection that softens a request.
Common placements:
- Snälla, kan du vara tyst? (at the start)
- Kan du vara tyst, snälla? (at the end; like a tag)
- Kan du snälla vara tyst? (mid‑position; common in speech but some find it less elegant)
Other polite options:
- Kan du vara tyst, är du snäll?
- Var snäll och var tyst.
- Extra‑polite: Skulle du kunna vara tyst?

Why is there a comma before snälla?

Because snälla is a parenthetical interjection (a vocative tag). Swedish usually sets that off with a comma: Kan du vara tyst, snälla? You’d also write Snälla, kan du vara tyst? with a comma after Snälla.

Is Kan du vara tyst a real question or just a polite way to tell someone to be quiet?

It’s a request. Literally it asks about ability, but idiomatically it functions like English Could you be quiet? It’s softer than a direct imperative and is common in everyday speech.

How do Var tyst and Håll tyst differ from this?

Var tyst. Direct imperative be quiet. Neutral-to-firm; fine with kids or in controlled contexts.
Håll tyst. Stronger feel, closer to shut up. Can sound rude.
Tyst! Very abrupt; like quiet!
Adding snälla softens: Var tyst, snälla.

What’s the difference between tyst, tystna, tysta, and tystlåten?

tyst: adjective, quiet/silent. Vara tyst = be quiet.
tystna: verb, become/get quiet. Kan du tystna? = could you quiet down? (can sound brusque)
tysta (ner): verb, to silence/quiet down (someone/something); also hush up (a scandal).
tystlåten: adjective, a quiet person by character (soft‑spoken, not talkative), not about the current volume.

Why does the verb come first in Kan du vara tyst?

Yes/no questions in Swedish put the finite verb first. Statement: Du kan vara tyst. Question: Kan du vara tyst? The example is a question form used as a polite request.

Why is inte after vill in Jag vill inte störa dem?

In main clauses, Swedish places inte after the finite verb (V2 word order):

Subject + finite verb + inte
- rest: Jag vill inte störa dem.
  In a subordinate clause, inte comes before the verb it negates:
… eftersom jag inte vill störa dem.

Why is there no att before störa after vill?

Modal and modal‑like verbs take a bare infinitive (no att): vill, kan, ska, måste, bör, får, brukar, tänker. Hence Jag vill inte störa dem.
Use att when introducing a subordinate clause: Jag vill att de inte blir störda.

Why dem and not de? And what about dom?

de = they (subject), dem = them (object). Here it’s an object, so dem.
In speech, both are pronounced dom. Many people write dom informally for both. In formal writing, keep the de/dem distinction.

How would I say this to several people?

Addressing several: Kan ni vara tysta, snälla?
Note the plural agreement: tysta (they are quiet).
If you mean you don’t want to disturb the people you’re talking to: Jag vill inte störa er.
If you mean some third party: Jag vill inte störa dem.

Any pronunciation tips for tricky sounds here?

du: u is a front‑rounded vowel [ʉː]. Say ee while rounding your lips.
tyst: y is [ʏ] (short front‑rounded vowel); ty isn’t like English tie. tj is [ɕ], a soft sh‑sound.
störa/dem: ö in stör‑ is [øː] (rounded, mid front); dem is pronounced dom in most accents.
snälla: ä is [ɛ]; double ll gives a longer consonant; stress on the first syllable.
Jag is often pronounced roughly like ja; the g is often dropped in many dialects.

How can I make the request even politer?

Skulle du kunna vara tyst (en stund), är du snäll?
Skulle du kunna sänka rösten lite? (softer, suggests lowering volume)
Skulle det gå bra om du var tyst en stund?
These sound gentler than Kan du vara tyst…

What’s the difference between störa and avbryta?

störa = to disturb/bother (noise, presence, distraction). Broad use.
Jag vill inte störa dem = I don’t want to disturb them.
avbryta = to interrupt (cut someone off, stop an activity).
Jag vill inte avbryta dem = I don’t want to interrupt them (e.g., while they’re talking).

Could I say Jag vill inte att de blir störda instead?

Yes. Jag vill inte störa dem focuses on you doing the disturbing.
Jag vill inte att de blir störda focuses on their state (that they not be disturbed), without saying who would disturb them. Use whichever better matches your emphasis.