Learn Hardcore Swedish: Pappa läser en text och skriver meningar på listan. - Dad reads a text and writes sentences on the list.

In everyday Swedish, bare family titles like pappa are often used like names to refer to one’s own relatives, so Pappa usually implies my dad.
Min pappa is fine if you want to be explicit or contrast with someone else’s dad.
Pappan means the dad/the father (specific but not necessarily the speaker’s), common in storytelling.
Formal/literary alternatives: far, fadern.
Capitalization: pappa is only capitalized here because it starts the sentence; unlike English Dad, Swedish does not capitalize it mid‑sentence.

Do I need a comma before och?

No. Swedish typically does not put a comma before och when two verb phrases share the same subject. Here Pappa is the subject of both läser and skriver, so no comma.

Why can the subject be omitted before skriver?

Because the two predicates share the same subject. Swedish does not repeat the subject after och unless you want emphasis or to avoid ambiguity. You can add it (och han skriver) but it is not required.

What tense are läser and skriver? Is there a difference between reads and is reading?

They are present tense. Swedish present often covers both English simple and progressive: Pappa läser can mean Dad reads or Dad is reading. To emphasize ongoing action, you can say Pappa håller på att läsa.

Why is it en text and not ett text, and can I say just text?

Text is an en‑word: en text, texten, texter, texterna.
You normally use the article when you mean one specific piece: läser en text.
Bare läser text would sound like reading text in general; it’s uncommon in everyday usage.

What does meningar tell me about number and definiteness?

mening (sentence) → indefinite plural meningar (sentences) with -ar.
Definite plural: meningarna (the sentences).
Indefinite plural fits because we mean some sentences, not specific ones. You can add några for emphasis: skriver några meningar.

Why is it på listan and not i listan or till listan?

på is the default when something is on a surface or appears on a list: på listan = on the list.
i treats the list as a container or data structure (common in tech contexts): lägga till i listan.
till highlights addition: lägga till X till listan works, but with skriva, the idiomatic phrasing is skriva (upp) X på listan.

Should I say skriva upp or skriva ner here?

skriva upp means write something down onto a list or note; very natural with på listan.
skriva ner means write something down (from memory, dictation, etc.) and does not by itself imply adding to a list. You would usually skip på listan unless that’s literally where you are writing.

Is the word order skriver meningar på listan fixed? Can I say skriver på listan meningar?

Default neutral order is subject – verb – object – place – time. So skriver meningar på listan is the normal order. skriver på listan meningar sounds odd unless you front the place for emphasis: På listan skriver pappa meningar.

How does definiteness work in listan?

en lista → definite singular listan.
Swedish uses a suffixed definite article (-n/-en/-et), not a separate the.
Use listan when the list is specific/known from context; otherwise en lista.

Does mening also mean meaning?

Yes. mening can mean sentence or meaning/purpose, depending on context. Plural meningar is used for sentences, and in the fixed expression det råder delade meningar it means differing opinions.

Any quick pronunciation tips for the whole sentence?

Pappa: [ˈpâpːa] (double p is long; unstressed final -a).
läser: [ˈlɛ̂ːsɛr] (long ä like the e in English bed, but longer).
en: [ɛn].
text: [tɛkst] (x = [ks]).
och: often reduced to [ɔ] or [o] in speech; careful speech [ɔkː].
skriver: [ˈskriːvɛr] (long i).
meningar: [ˈmɛ̌ːnɪŋar] (ng = [ŋ], no [g]).
på: [poː] (long o).
listan: [ˈlɪstan]. Stress is on the first syllable of content words.

Why don’t the verbs change with the subject?

Swedish verbs do not agree with person or number in the present. It’s jag läser, du läser, hon läser, vi läser, etc. Same with skriver.

Do I ever need att in a structure like this?

Not with och. Och coordinates two finite verbs that share a subject. Att is used with infinitives after certain verbs or constructions (for example, börjar (att) läsa), but not to join two finite actions like here.

Could I make the sentences definite: skriver meningarna på listan?

Yes, but it changes the meaning to specific sentences that are already identified in context: meningarna = the sentences. Without context, the indefinite plural meningar is more natural.

Is meningar the only possible object here? What if I mean phrases or notes?

meningar = sentences (complete units with capital letter and period).
fraser = phrases (smaller units).
anteckningar = notes. Choose the noun that matches what is being written.