Swedish word order: the verb comes second
In a Swedish main clause the verb is always in slot 2. Put anything else first and the subject moves behind the verb.
Swedish main clauses are verb-second (V2): the finite verb is always the second element. Jag dricker kaffe idag. Idag dricker jag kaffe. Igår åt jag middag. A whole clause can fill slot 1: När jag kom hem åt jag middag. Whenever slot 1 is not the subject, the subject goes after the verb.
Examples
Jag dricker kaffe varje morgon.
I drink coffee every morning.
Varje morgon dricker jag kaffe.
Every morning I drink coffee.
Igår åt jag middag med min familj.
Yesterday I had dinner with my family.
I Sverige dricker folk mycket kaffe.
In Sweden people drink a lot of coffee.
När jag kom hem åt jag middag.
When I got home, I had dinner.
Vad dricker du?
What are you drinking? (a question word also fills slot 1)
Common mistake
Wrong: Igår jag åt middag. Right: Igår åt jag middag (Yesterday I had dinner). Wrong: Nu jag förstår. Right: Nu förstår jag (Now I understand). English keeps subject-verb order after a time word; Swedish does not.