Questions & Answers about Jag städar inte rummet idag.
Why does inte come right after the verb städar?
In simple Swedish sentences, the word for "not" (inte) comes directly after the verb. Unlike English, which uses extra helper words like "do not" or "am not" to make a negative sentence, Swedish simply places the verb in the second position and follows it immediately with inte.
The translation says "am not cleaning", but where is the "am" in the Swedish sentence?
Swedish doesn't have a separate "am doing" form (the present continuous tense). The single verb städar means both "clean" and "am cleaning". To say "I am not cleaning", you just say Jag städar inte (literally "I clean not").
How do we know rummet means "the room" and not just "a room"?
Could I start the sentence with idag (today) instead?
Yes, you can say Idag städar jag inte rummet. But remember the Swedish "verb-second" rule! Because the time word Idag is now in the first position, the subject jag has to jump after the verb so that städar stays in spot number two. The negative word inte then comes right after the subject.