Breakdown of Jag måste tacka nej till inbjudan, och chefen kan inte heller komma.
jag
I
och
and
inte
not
kunna
to be able to, can
Questions & Answers about Jag måste tacka nej till inbjudan, och chefen kan inte heller komma.
Why is heller placed exactly where it is here?
In a main clause with two verbs (kan and komma), sentence adverbs go between the conjugated verb and the infinitive verb. Here, they cluster together as inte heller right after the first verb, kan.
Can I swap the order and say heller inte instead of inte heller?
Yes! Both inte heller and heller inte are perfectly natural and mean the same thing. They act as a unit and both fit perfectly in this standard sentence adverb position.
Why do we use tacka nej instead of a direct translation for "turn down"?
Tacka nej (literally "thank no") is the standard Swedish idiom for politely declining an offer or invitation. It carries a built-in "no, thank you" politeness that makes it much more natural than just saying säga nej (say no).
The English translation says "the invitation", but inbjudan doesn't have a standard definite ending like -en. Why is that?
Inbjudan is a special type of noun ending in -an. For many of these words, the indefinite singular (en inbjudan) and the definite singular (inbjudan) are identical. You rely on context to know it is definite in this sentence.