Learn Swedish: Idag slipper vi ju diska! - Today we do not have to wash the dishes, you know!

The verb slipper is a modal-like verb. Just like kan (can) or vill (want to), it is followed directly by the bare infinitive form of the next verb, without using att (to). So we say slipper diska, not slipper att diska.

Does slipper just mean 'do not have to'?

It means 'to get out of doing something' or 'to not have to do something' that is usually a chore or unpleasant. It is a very common Swedish verb because it expresses in one word what takes several words in English. Here, it means avoiding the chore of washing the dishes.

Why is the verb slipper before the subject vi?

This is the V2 (verb-second) rule in action! Because the sentence starts with the time word Idag (today), the verb must take the second position in the sentence. So, the subject vi swaps places with the verb, giving us Idag slipper vi instead of Idag vi slipper.

What is the purpose of ju in this sentence?

The word ju is a small particle added to sentences to show that the speaker and listener already share this information. It translates roughly to 'you know', 'as you know', or 'of course'. Here, the speaker is happily reminding the listener of the shared fact that they are free from doing the dishes today.