Learn Hardcore Swedish: Jag har inte ätit ännu, så fikan blir sen. - I have not eaten yet, so the coffee break will be late.

Because in a main clause the sentence adverb inte comes after the finite verb and before non‑finite verb forms. Here, har is the finite verb and ätit is the supine (non‑finite), so: Jag har inte ätit.

Compare: Jag åt inte (simple past; only one verb, so inte follows it).
In a subordinate clause, inte comes before the finite verb: att jag inte har ätit.

What’s the difference between ännu and än?

Both can mean “yet” in negatives, but:

än is the everyday colloquial choice in “not yet”: inte än.
ännu is a bit more formal/literate: inte ännu or ännu inte.
Important: än is also used in comparisons (“than”): större än. You can’t use ännu there.
ännu can also mean “even” with comparatives: ännu bättre = “even better.”

Can I also say Jag har ännu inte ätit or Jag har inte ätit än?

Yes. All of these are correct:

Jag har inte ätit ännu. (neutral)
Jag har inte ätit än. (very common, informal–neutral)
Jag har ännu inte ätit. (more formal) They all mean “I haven’t eaten yet,” with only a register/flow difference.

Why present perfect (har ätit) instead of past (åt)?

“Yet” implies relevance to the present moment, so Swedish uses the present perfect: Jag har inte ätit (än/ännu). The simple past Jag åt inte describes a completed past situation (e.g., “I didn’t eat [yesterday/at the party]”), not the open‑ended “up to now” meaning.

Is ätit a past participle?

It’s the Swedish supine, the form used with har/hade to build perfect tenses: har ätit, hade ätit. The past participle of “äta” is äten (often seen in compounds like uppäten “eaten up”) and is used mainly with vara/bli: Fisken är uppäten (“The fish is eaten up”).

What exactly is fika—a noun or a verb?

Both.

As a verb: att fika = “to have coffee/a coffee break.” Example: Ska vi fika?
As a countable noun (an occasion): en fika, definite fikan. Example: Vi tar en fika klockan tre.
As a mass noun (the refreshments): fika, definite fikat. Example: Fikat står i köket.

Why is it fikan (definite) here?

Using fikan signals a specific, context‑known coffee break (the one we planned). If you just said fika, it could sound like the concept in general or the refreshments. You could also make the reference explicit: Vår fika blir sen (“Our coffee break will be late”).

Should it be sen, sent, or senare?

sen = the base adjective “late,” used predicatively with common‑gender nouns: Fikan blir sen.
sent = neuter/adverb form: Det blir sent; Vi kom sent (“We arrived late”).
senare = “later” (comparative): Fikan blir senare (“The break will be later [than planned]”). Nuance: blir sen = “will be late/delayed”; blir senare highlights the comparison to an earlier plan/time.
Also: för sent = “too late.”

Why is it …, så fikan blir sen and not …, så blir fikan sen?

Here så is a coordinating connector meaning “so/therefore.” After such a så, the next clause keeps normal subject–verb order: … så fikan blir ….
If you front så as a sentence‑initial adverb meaning “then/so,” you get inversion: Så blir fikan sen (“Then the break will be late”), which is a different structure and nuance.

Do I need the comma before så?

It’s common and recommended to use a comma before så when it means “so/therefore” connecting two main clauses: … ännu, så ….
If så starts the clause as an adverb (“Then …”), you don’t put a comma after it: Så gick vi hem.

Could I say Fikan kommer att bli sen or use ska?

Fikan blir sen (present) is the most natural for a near/expected result.
Fikan kommer att bli sen is fine and a bit more explicit/neutral about the future.
Ska expresses intent/plan/obligation, usually tied to an animate subject: Vi ska fika senare (“We’re going to have the coffee break later”).
Saying Fikan ska bli sen sounds odd unless you mean “It’s supposed to be later” as a plan; even then, Fikan blir senare or Vi lägger fikan senare is clearer.

What’s the difference between blir sen and är sen?

blir sen = “will be/becomes late” (a change/result in the future or as a consequence): Fikan blir sen.
är sen = “is late” (current state): Fikan är sen would mean the break is already late now (e.g., it should have started already).

Could I say Fikan är försenad instead of Fikan blir sen?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

Fikan blir sen = casual, “the break will be late/delayed.”
Fikan är/blev försenad = uses the adjective “delayed,” a bit more formal/official (typical for trains: Tåget är försenat). It works for a meeting or break, especially in more formal announcements.