Hon torkar golvet snabbt och gömmer nyckeln i lådan så att barnen inte hittar den.

They are all in the present tense.

The basic forms are:

• torka = to dry / wipe
• gömma = to hide
• hitta = to find

In Swedish, the present tense is often made by adding -r or -er, depending on the verb class:

• torka → torkar
• gömma → gömmer
• hitta → hittar

Also, Swedish verbs do not change according to the subject the way English does. So the same form is used for I, you, she, we, etc.

Because the subject is the same in both parts of the sentence.

So:

• Hon torkar golvet snabbt och gömmer nyckeln ...

means:

• She dries/wipes the floor quickly and hides the key ...

Swedish often leaves out the repeated subject after och when it is clearly the same person. You could say Hon torkar golvet snabbt och hon gömmer nyckeln ..., but that sounds more repetitive.

Because Swedish usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like the.

In this sentence:

• golvet = the floor
• nyckeln = the key
• lådan = the drawer / box
• barnen = the children

The exact ending depends on the noun’s gender and number.

For example:

• ett golv → golvet
• en nyckel → nyckeln
• en låda → lådan
• barn → barnen (definite plural)

So these endings are not random; they are the Swedish way of saying the.

Because snabbt is the adverb form here.

• snabb = fast, quick
• snabbt = quickly

In the sentence, it describes how she wipes/dries the floor, so Swedish uses the adverb:

• Hon torkar golvet snabbt = She wipes/dries the floor quickly

A lot of Swedish adverbs are formed from adjectives by adding -t:

• snabb → snabbt
• långsam → långsamt
• försiktig → försiktigt

Because in Swedish, an adverb of manner like snabbt often comes after the object.

So this order is very natural:

• Hon torkar golvet snabbt

That is: subject + verb + object + adverb

You may sometimes see adverbs in other positions, but here this is the most neutral and natural order.

Så att means so that.

It introduces a clause that explains the purpose or result of the action.

So:

• gömmer nyckeln i lådan så att barnen inte hittar den

means:

• hides the key in the drawer/box so that the children do not find it

This is a very common Swedish structure.

Because this part is a subordinate clause introduced by så att.

In Swedish subordinate clauses, the usual order is:

• subject + inte + verb

So:

• så att barnen inte hittar den

not:

• så att inte barnen hittar den

The second version is possible only in special cases with a different emphasis, but the normal order is barnen inte hittar.

This is one of the most important word-order patterns in Swedish.

Because den refers to nyckeln, and nyckel is an en-word.

In Swedish:

• use den for en-words
• use det for ett-words

So:

• en nyckel → den
• ett golv → det

Here, den means it, referring back to the key.

They are:

• ett golv = a floor
• en nyckel = a key
• en låda = a box / drawer
• ett barn = a child

The forms in the sentence are definite forms:

• golvet = the floor
• nyckeln = the key
• lådan = the box / drawer
• barnen = the children

Learning the noun together with en or ett is very important in Swedish.

It is definite plural.

• ett barn = a child
• barn = children
• barnet = the child
• barnen = the children

So in this sentence, barnen means the children.

It can mean either, depending on context.

The verb torka can be used for:

• drying something
• wiping something

With golvet, English might use:

• dries the floor
• wipes the floor
• sometimes even mops the floor, depending on context

So the exact English choice depends on the situation, even though the Swedish verb is the same.

It can mean either one.

• en låda can be a box
• it can also mean a drawer

So i lådan could mean:

• in the box
• in the drawer

The surrounding context tells you which English word is best.

Because the sentence is talking about a specific group: the children.

• barn = children
• barnen = the children

Using the definite form makes it sound like the speaker has particular children in mind, not children in general.

So:

• så att barnen inte hittar den = so that the children do not find it

If you said så att barn inte hittar den, that would sound more like so that children do not find it in a general sense.