Kan jag låna hörlurarna nu, tack?

In Swedish, yes/no questions usually use V2 word order: the finite verb comes first.
So Kan jag låna …? = Can I borrow …?
In a statement you’d typically say Jag kan låna … = I can borrow … (though the meaning changes slightly depending on context).

Swedish uses:

• låna = to borrow or to lend (it can be ambiguous by itself)
• låna ut = to lend out (clearly “lend”)
• låna (av) = to borrow (often clear from context)

In Kan jag låna hörlurarna…?, it’s understood as borrow, because the subject jag is asking to take them temporarily.

-na is the definite plural ending for many nouns.

• hörlurar = headphones (indefinite plural)
• hörlurarna = the headphones (definite plural)

English often uses the; Swedish often puts “the-ness” on the end of the noun.

In everyday Swedish, hörlurar is commonly used as a plural-only item meaning “headphones.”
If you want to refer to one earpiece/headphone, you can say:

• en hörlur = an earphone / one headphone
• hörluren = the earphone

Swedish usually expresses definiteness either by:

• a suffix: hörlurarna = the headphones, or
• demonstratives like de här/de där: de här hörlurarna = these headphones

You normally don’t add plain de in front the way English uses the.
de hörlurarna can exist in special contexts (contrast/emphasis), but it’s not the neutral way to say it.

Nu often sits after the object or near the end:

• Kan jag låna hörlurarna nu, tack? (very natural)

You can move it for emphasis:

• Kan jag nu låna hörlurarna, tack? (more emphasis on “now” / slightly more formal or marked)
• Kan jag låna hörlurarna, tack—nu? (spoken, can sound a bit insistent)

Often, yes. Swedish commonly uses tack at the end to soften a request, similar to please:

• Kan jag låna hörlurarna nu, tack? = “Can I borrow the headphones now, please?”

You can also use snälla (“please” in a more pleading tone), but it can sound more emotional:

• Kan jag låna hörlurarna nu, snälla?

Kan jag…? is very common and correct. Depending on tone, you might also hear:

• Får jag låna hörlurarna nu? = “May I / Can I borrow the headphones now?” (often a bit more polite/asking permission)
• Skulle jag kunna låna hörlurarna nu? = “Could I borrow…?” (more polite/softer)

No. After modal verbs like kan, vill, ska, måste, Swedish uses the bare infinitive:

• kan låna (not kan att låna)

So Kan jag låna…? is correct.

A rough guide (varies by accent):

• Kan ≈ “kahn”
• jag often sounds like ya in normal speech (especially in Central Swedish)
• låna ≈ “LOH-na” (with a long å)
• hör- starts with a sound like English hurr- but with Swedish ö (similar to the vowel in “her” for some speakers, but rounded)
• lurarna has stress roughly on lu-
• nu ≈ “noo” (but with Swedish u, more fronted than English “oo”)
• tack ≈ “tahk”

If you tell me what accent you’re aiming for (Stockholm, Gothenburg, Finland Swedish, etc.), I can tailor it.

It’s generally polite because:

• it’s framed as a question (Kan jag…?)
• it includes tack to soften it

It can sound more urgent depending on intonation and context because of nu (“now”). If you want to be extra soft, you can add a hedge:

• Kan jag låna hörlurarna nu, tack? (neutral polite)
• Kan jag få låna hörlurarna nu, tack? (a bit softer)
• Skulle jag kunna få låna hörlurarna nu, tack? (very polite)

Yes, if it’s already clear what you mean:

• Kan jag låna dem nu, tack? = “Can I borrow them now, please?”

Note: in writing, dem is object form (“them”). In speech, many Swedes pronounce both de and dem like dom.

Yes. In writing, you still use ? for a direct question:

• Kan jag låna hörlurarna nu, tack? ✅