Breakdown of Det är bäst att inte förolämpa mannen som du jobbar med.
vara
to be
du
you (singular)
jobba
to work
inte
not
Questions & Answers about Det är bäst att inte förolämpa mannen som du jobbar med.
Why is inte placed before the verb förolämpa here?
Because this is an infinitive phrase. When you use att (to) plus a verb in its infinitive form, sentence adverbs like the negation inte must come right before the verb. So 'not to insult' is always att inte förolämpa.
Can I put the preposition med before the relative pronoun, like 'with whom you work'?
It is technically possible to say med vilken du jobbar, but it sounds extremely formal and unnatural in modern Swedish. Just like in everyday English, putting the preposition at the end of the clause (som du jobbar med) is the standard, natural way to say it.
Could I drop the word som in this sentence, just like we can drop 'that' in English?
Yes! In Swedish, you can often drop som if it is the object of the clause, rather than the subject. Since du (you) is the subject doing the working, you could say mannen du jobbar med and it would be perfectly correct.
Why does mannen need the definite suffix -en here?
Because you are talking about a specific man (the one you work with). When a noun is followed by a som clause that defines exactly who or what it is, Swedish uses the definite form, just like English uses 'the man' instead of 'a man'.