Learn Swedish: Om jag ändå satt bredvid elementet inne! - If only I were sitting next to the radiator inside!

The combination of om and ändå creates an independent optative clause, which is a grammatical way to express a strong, unfulfilled wish. While om by itself means "if", adding ändå turns the phrase into "if only".

Why is the past tense verb satt used if the speaker is talking about right now?

Swedish uses the simple past tense here to show that the scenario is hypothetical or unreal. Just like saying "if only I were sitting" in English, the past tense satt indicates a present unfulfilled wish rather than something that actually happened in the past.

Does elementet really mean "the radiator"? I thought it meant "the element".

Yes, in everyday Swedish, ett element is the standard word for a wall radiator or a household heater. While it can also mean "element" in a scientific or abstract sense, the context of sitting next to it indoors makes "the radiator" the clear meaning here.

Why do we use inne at the end instead of just in?

Swedish makes a strict distinction between location and destination. Because the speaker is wishing to be stationary (sitting next to the radiator), we use inne to mean the fixed location of being "inside". You only use in for movement or direction, like walking inside.