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Hon säger att tvättmaskinen låter högt, men den fungerar ändå.

Hon säger att tvättmaskinen låter högt, men den fungerar ändå.
She says that the washing machine sounds loud, but it still works.
FromLesson 28inHardcore Swedish
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Questions & Answers about Hon säger att tvättmaskinen låter högt, men den fungerar ändå.

Why is att used after säger?

In Swedish, verbs like säga (to say), tycka (to think), veta (to know) commonly introduce a subordinate clause with att (that). So Hon säger att ... corresponds to She says that ....
In everyday speech, att is sometimes omitted (especially when the clause is short), but in standard written Swedish it’s very common to include it.

Why is the word order tvättmaskinen låter högt and not something like låter tvättmaskinen högt?

After att, you’re in a subordinate clause, and Swedish normally uses subject + verb word order there.
So you get: att + [subject] tvättmaskinen + [verb] låter + [adverb] högt.
Swedish “V2” (verb-second) word order applies in main clauses, but subordinate clauses introduced by att usually do not follow V2.

What exactly does låter mean here? Is it related to English let?

Here låter is from låta meaning to sound (to make a noise / have a sound quality): tvättmaskinen låter högt = the washing machine sounds loud / is noisy.
Swedish also has låta meaning to let/allow (similar-looking to English let), but that’s a different use, e.g. Låt mig gå = let me go. Context tells you which meaning is intended.

Why is it tvättmaskinen and not en tvättmaskin?

Tvättmaskinen is the definite form: the washing machine. Swedish often marks definiteness by adding an ending to the noun:

  • en tvättmaskin = a washing machine
  • tvättmaskinen = the washing machine (-en is the definite ending for many en-words)

In this sentence, you’re talking about a specific machine (probably the one they own), so the definite form is natural.

Why does Swedish use den for the washing machine?

Den is the common-gender third-person singular pronoun (it/that one) and is used to refer back to an en-word like tvättmaskin.
So: tvättmaskinen ... men den ... = the washing machine ... but it ...

If the noun were an ett-word, you would usually use det instead.

What does ändå add, and where does it usually go in the sentence?

Ändå means something like still / anyway / nevertheless, expressing contrast: despite the earlier problem (it’s loud), the machine works.
Placement: it commonly goes after the verb in a main clause: den fungerar ändå. You can sometimes move it for emphasis, but this is the most neutral placement.

Why is högt in the neuter form (-t)?

Högt is an adverb here (modifying the verb låter), not an adjective describing a noun. In Swedish, many adverbs are identical to the neuter form of the adjective:

  • adjective: en hög ljudnivå (a high noise level) / ett högt ljud (a loud sound)
  • adverb: låter högt (sounds loudly / is loud)

So the -t here signals the adverb form.

Can I replace men with fast here?

Often yes, with a small style difference:

  • men = but (neutral, standard in both speech and writing)
  • fast = but/however (very common in speech, slightly more informal)

So ..., fast den fungerar ändå. is natural in conversation. In formal writing, men is usually the safer choice.

Why is there a comma before men?

It’s common (and often recommended) in Swedish to use a comma before men when it joins two full clauses, especially when the contrast is clear:

  • clause 1: Hon säger att tvättmaskinen låter högt
  • clause 2: den fungerar ändå

In shorter sentences, the comma can sometimes be omitted, but with two clear parts like this, the comma improves readability.

Is fungerar just present tense, and how is it used?

Yes, fungerar is present tense of fungera (to work / function). Swedish present tense covers both it works and often it is working depending on context.
So den fungerar ändå means the machine functions/works despite the noise.