Learn Hardcore Swedish: Kan du skriva in ditt lösenord här, så att vi ser om internet fungerar? - Can you enter your password here so that we see if the internet works?

Kan du skriva in ditt lösenord…?
Literally: “Can you enter your password…?”
This is a polite request in Swedish, just like in English. It sounds friendly and not too direct.
Skriv in ditt lösenord…
This is a direct imperative: “Enter your password…”
This can sound like a firm instruction or command. It’s fine in, for example, written instructions or on-screen messages, but between people it can sound a bit blunt depending on the context and tone.

So kan du skriva in… is used here to make the request softer and more polite.

What does skriva in literally mean, and why not just skriva?

Skriva in is a verb + particle combination that means “enter (by typing)” or “fill in (by writing/typing)”.

skriva = “to write”
skriva in = “to write/enter into (a field/form/system)”

In contexts with passwords, forms, fields on a website, etc., Swedish normally uses:

skriva in ditt lösenord = “enter your password”
skriv in ditt namn = “enter your name”
skriv in din adress = “enter your address”

Just skriva ditt lösenord would sound more like physically writing it somewhere (e.g. on paper), not typing it into a field. Skriva in captures the idea of entering into a system or form.

Why is it ditt lösenord and not din lösenord?

Swedish has two grammatical genders that affect possessive pronouns:

en-words → use min / din / sin
ett-words → use mitt / ditt / sitt

The word lösenord (“password”) is an ett-word:

ett lösenord – a password
lösenordet – the password

Because it’s an ett-word, you need ditt:

ditt lösenord = your password (one person, one password)

If the noun were an en-word, you’d use din:

din bil – your car
din bok – your book

So ditt lösenord is grammatically correct because lösenord is an ett-word.

Is lösenord singular or plural here, and what’s its literal meaning?

In the sentence ditt lösenord, it is singular.

ett lösenord = a password
lösenord (without article, as here) is an indefinite singular form, like “password” in “enter your password”
lösenordet = the password
lösenord can also be a plural form in some contexts, but then you’d see a different article or possessive, e.g. mina lösenord (“my passwords”).

Literally, lösenord is a compound:

lösen – related to “to solve” or “solution; code”
ord – “word”

So lösenord is literally “code word” or “password”.

Why is there a comma before så att in …, så att vi ser om internet fungerar?

In Swedish, it’s common to put a comma before a subordinate clause that starts with words like att, om, när, eftersom, så att, etc.

In this sentence:

First clause: Kan du skriva in ditt lösenord här
Second clause: så att vi ser om internet fungerar

The comma marks the boundary between the main request and the purpose/result clause (så att = “so that”). This comma would also be natural in English:

“Can you enter your password here, so that we can see if the internet is working?”

In speech, there’s often a small pause there, which the comma reflects.

What is the function of så att here? Could you just say att instead?

Så att here means “so that / in order that” and introduces a purpose/result clause:

… så att vi ser om internet fungerar
= “so that we (can) see if the internet is working”

If you only used att, like … att vi ser om internet fungerar, it would sound odd and not natural here. Att alone usually introduces more neutral subordinate clauses (like “that…” after verbs such as “say”, “think”, “know”, etc.).

Så att specifically emphasizes:

the result (“so that we see”) or
the purpose (“in order for us to see”).

So så att is the natural choice.

What does om mean here in om internet fungerar? Is it “if” or “about”?

Here, om means “if / whether”, not “about”.

… vi ser om internet fungerar
= “we see if the internet is working”

Some common uses:

Jag vet inte om han kommer.
= “I don’t know if he’s coming.”
Vi måste kolla om det fungerar.
= “We have to check if it works.”

Om can mean “about” in some expressions (e.g. en bok om hundar – “a book about dogs”), but in this sentence it clearly has the “if/whether” meaning because it introduces a clause that can be answered yes/no:
“Does the internet work or not?”

Why is it vi ser and not vi kan se (“we can see”)?

Swedish often uses the plain present tense where English might add “can” or “will be able to”.

… så att vi ser om internet fungerar
literally: “so that we see if the internet works”

In English, you’d more naturally say:

“so that we can see if the internet is working”

Both languages are expressing ability/possibility of seeing, but:

Swedish is fine with simple present vi ser in this context.
English tends to prefer “can see”.

You could say så att vi kan se in Swedish as well; it’s also correct and a bit closer to the English structure. Vi ser feels slightly more direct and is very idiomatic.

Why is internet not capitalized here? Should it be Internet?

In modern Swedish usage:

internet (lowercase) is very common and generally accepted.
Internet (uppercase) also exists, especially in older texts or more formal styles, treating it like a proper name.

Both are understood, but current trend:

internet = normal, standard spelling in everyday Swedish.

So om internet fungerar is perfectly fine and usual.

Why is fungerar in the present tense? Does it mean “works” or “is working”?

Fungerar is the present tense of fungera (“to function, to work”).

internet fungerar = “the internet works” or “the internet is working”

Swedish present tense often covers both:

simple present (“works”)
present progressive (“is working”)

Context tells you which English translation fits best. Here, the intended meaning is “if the internet is working (right now)”, but grammatically, Swedish doesn’t need a separate progressive form.

Why is it här at the end of the first part: Kan du skriva in ditt lösenord här? Could it go somewhere else?

Här means “here” (location), and its position is flexible, but some options sound more natural than others.

Most natural:

Kan du skriva in ditt lösenord här – “Can you enter your password here”

Less natural, but possible:

Kan du här skriva in ditt lösenord – possible, but sounds a bit marked or stylized.
Här kan du skriva in ditt lösenord – “Here you can enter your password” (slightly different emphasis/meaning: more like a general statement about where you can do it, not a direct request).

In the original sentence, här at the end is natural because it directly refers to the physical place (e.g. “here on this device / in this box / on this line”), just like in English: “enter your password here.”

Is kan du the most polite way to ask, or are there even more polite options?

Kan du…? is already a polite, everyday way to ask someone to do something. Very common and neutral.

You can make it even softer or more formal by adding words:

Skulle du kunna skriva in ditt lösenord här…?
= “Would you be able to enter your password here…?”
Skulle du vilja skriva in ditt lösenord här…?
= “Would you like to enter your password here…?” (more tentative, but can sound like you’re offering rather than requesting)

In customer service or casual contexts, Kan du skriva in…? is normally polite enough and very typical.

Could the sentence be reordered, for example starting with så att?

You could reorganize, but it changes style and naturalness.

Original:

Kan du skriva in ditt lösenord här, så att vi ser om internet fungerar?
Natural, polite, and clear.

If you start with så att, you’d get something like:

Så att vi ser om internet fungerar, kan du skriva in ditt lösenord här?

This is grammatically understandable but sounds somewhat awkward and less natural in everyday speech. Swedish tends to keep the main request first and then add the explanation/purpose with så att afterwards, exactly as in the original sentence.