Learn Hardcore Swedish: De saknar huset, men de är ändå glada i staden. - They miss the house, but they are still happy in the city.

Because de is the subject form (“they”) and dem is the object form (“them”). Swedish keeps this distinction in writing even though both are usually pronounced the same in speech.

Subject: De saknar huset.
Object: Jag saknar dem.

I keep hearing and seeing dom. Can I write that here?

Yes in informal writing: Dom saknar huset, men dom är ändå glada i staden. In standard/formal writing, stick to de/dem. Remember: both de and dem are pronounced like dom in most accents.

What exactly does saknar mean? Can it mean “miss” like missing a bus?

Sakna means “to miss” in the sense of “to long for/feel the absence of” or “to lack.”

Feel the absence: Jag saknar dig. (I miss you.)
Lack: Vi saknar tid. (We lack time.) For missing a bus/meeting, Swedish uses missa:
Jag missade bussen. (I missed the bus.)

Why is it huset (definite) and not just hus?

Because a specific house is meant. Swedish marks definiteness with a suffix on the noun:

Indefinite: ett hus (a house)
Definite singular: huset (the house)
Indefinite plural: hus (houses)
Definite plural: husen (the houses) With adjectives you also add a separate article (“double definiteness”): det gamla huset (the old house).

Could I say they “miss home” instead of “miss the house”?

Yes. Common options:

De saknar hemmet. (They miss home.)
De har hemlängtan. (They are homesick / They have homesickness.)

What does ändå add here? How is it different from fortfarande?

Ändå means “nevertheless/anyway/even so” and marks a concessive contrast: despite missing the house, they are happy. Fortfarande means “still” in the sense of “continuing to be.” Compare:

Concessive: De saknar huset, men de är ändå glada. (They miss the house, but they are nevertheless happy.)
Ongoing state: De är fortfarande glada. (They are still happy.)

Where can I put ändå in the sentence?

Several natural placements, with small differences in emphasis:

De är ändå glada i staden. (neutral placement after the verb)
Ändå är de glada i staden. (fronted for stronger contrast)
De är glada i staden ändå. (tag-like, “happy in the city, anyway”) All are correct; choose for rhythm/emphasis.

Why is it glada and not glad?

Predicate adjectives agree in number with the subject in Swedish. With plural de, use plural glada. Examples:

Singular: Hon är glad.
Neuter singular: Det är glatt.
Plural: De är glada.

Is i staden what people actually say? What about i stan or på stan?

All exist, but register differs:

i staden = in the city (more formal/literal)
i stan = in town/the city (very common, colloquial contraction of staden)
på stan = “out in town/downtown” (being out and about, shopping, socializing) Your sentence would be very natural as: … men de är ändå glada i stan.

Can I drop the second de and say … men är ändå glada i staden?

Yes. Swedish often omits a repeated subject in the second clause when it’s clear:

De saknar huset, men är ändå glada i staden. This is common and idiomatic.

Is the comma before men required?

It’s optional. Many style guides allow or recommend a comma between two main clauses:

With comma: De saknar huset, men de är ändå glada …
Without comma: De saknar huset men de är ändå glada … Both are accepted; the comma can make the contrast slightly clearer.

Does glad i mean “fond of,” like in Norwegian? Could glada i staden mean “fond of the city”?

In standard Swedish, glad i meaning “fond of” is rare/colloquial and usually appears with things like glad i godis (likes candy). In your sentence, i staden is a locative phrase: “happy in the city.” If you want “fond of the city,” say tycker om staden or gillar staden.

Any quick pronunciation tips for the tricky words?

de/dem are both pronounced like “dom.”
saknar ≈ “SAHK-nar” (long a in the first syllable)
huset ≈ “HOO-set” (long “oo”)
är ≈ “air” but shorter and flatter
ändå ≈ “en-DOH” (stress on second syllable; don’t confuse with ända)
staden ≈ “STAW-den”
glada ≈ “GLAH-da”

Could I rewrite with “even though” instead of men … ändå?

Yes. Good alternatives:

Trots att de saknar huset, är de ändå glada i staden.
Även om de saknar huset, är de ändå glada i staden. You can often drop ändå here if the concessive clause already makes the contrast clear.