Receptionisten bad oss vänta i väntrummet och läsa något så länge.

Yes. Bad is the past tense of be, which often means to ask, request, or tell someone politely to do something.

So:

• Receptionisten bad oss vänta = The receptionist asked us to wait

This is different from frågade, which usually means asked in the sense of asked a question.

Compare:

• Hon frågade mig vad klockan var. = She asked me what time it was.
• Hon bad mig vänta. = She asked me to wait.

So in this sentence, bad is the natural choice because the receptionist is requesting an action.

Because oss is the object form of we.

Compare English:

• we = subject
• us = object

Swedish works the same way:

• vi = we
• oss = us

In this sentence, the receptionist is asking us, so Swedish uses the object form:

• Receptionisten bad oss vänta = The receptionist asked us to wait.

If you used vi, it would be grammatically wrong here.

After be någon göra något, Swedish normally uses the bare infinitive, without att.

So:

• be någon vänta = ask someone to wait
• be någon läsa = ask someone to read

That is why the sentence says:

• bad oss vänta
• och läsa

not:

• bad oss att vänta

This is a very common pattern in Swedish with some verbs, especially when one person causes or asks another person to do something.

Because both verbs depend on bad.

The structure is:

• Receptionisten = the receptionist
• bad oss = asked us
• vänta ... och läsa ... = to wait ... and read ...

So the receptionist asked us to do two things:

1. vänta i väntrummet = wait in the waiting room
2. läsa något så länge = read something in the meantime

Both verbs stay in the infinitive because they are both governed by bad.

Väntrummet means the waiting room.

It is made from:

• vänt- from vänta = wait
• rum = room
• -met = the definite ending for rummet = the room

The base word is väntrum = waiting room.

Then:

• ett väntrum = a waiting room
• väntrummet = the waiting room

So i väntrummet means in the waiting room.

Because Receptionisten means the receptionist, not a receptionist.

Swedish often uses the definite form when talking about a specific person in the situation.

Compare:

• en receptionist = a receptionist
• receptionisten = the receptionist

Here, it is a specific receptionist already identifiable in the context, so the definite form is natural.

Något means something here.

So:

• läsa något = read something

Yes, någonting could also work in many cases:

• läsa någonting

Both can mean read something, but något is often a bit shorter and more neutral in everyday sentences.

In this sentence, något sounds completely natural.

Here så länge means for the time being, in the meantime, or while waiting.

So:

• läsa något så länge = read something in the meantime

It does not mean for such a long time here.

This expression is very common when someone is doing something temporarily until something else happens.

Examples:

• Sitt här så länge. = Sit here for now / in the meantime.
• Du kan ta en kaffe så länge. = You can have a coffee while you wait.

So in this sentence, the idea is: wait in the waiting room and read something while you are waiting.

Because it naturally modifies the action läsa något and gives the sense of in the meantime.

Swedish often places short time expressions toward the end of the clause.

So:

• läsa något så länge = read something for now / in the meantime

Putting it at the end sounds very normal and idiomatic.

No. I väntrummet is correct.

Swedish usually uses i for being inside a room or enclosed space:

• i huset = in the house
• i bilen = in the car
• i väntrummet = in the waiting room

Using på here would sound wrong in standard Swedish.

The sentence follows a normal Swedish main-clause pattern:

• Receptionisten = subject
• bad = finite verb
• oss = object
• vänta i väntrummet och läsa något så länge = infinitive phrase

So the structure is:

Subject + verb + object + infinitives/complements

A literal breakdown would be:

• Receptionisten = The receptionist
• bad = asked
• oss = us
• vänta = wait
• i väntrummet = in the waiting room
• och = and
• läsa = read
• något = something
• så länge = in the meantime

In standard Swedish, after be någon göra något, you normally do not use att.

So the natural form is:

• Receptionisten bad oss vänta ...
• Receptionisten bad oss läsa något ...

Using att after oss here would sound unidiomatic or wrong to most learners and in standard usage.

So this is a pattern worth memorizing:

• be + person/object + infinitive without att

It is completely natural everyday Swedish.

Nothing in it is unusually formal. In fact, it sounds like a very normal thing someone in a clinic, office, or reception area might say or report.

A learner should recognize several very useful everyday patterns here:

• be någon göra något
• vänta i ...
• läsa något
• så länge = in the meantime