Standard Word Order with Infinitives
In standard Danish word order, the subject comes first. With a modal verb (like skal, vil, or kan), the modal is conjugated in the second position, followed later by the bare infinitive of the main action.
Fronting the Action for Emphasis
To emphasize the action rather than the person doing it, Danish allows you to "front" the bare infinitive (and its direct object) to the beginning of the sentence.
Because Danish is a strict V2 (verb-second) language, this fronted infinitive phrase takes position one. The conjugated modal verb must immediately follow in position two, pushing the subject to position three.
Using "Gøre" as a Placeholder
When fronting an infinitive, you will often see the verb gøre (to do) left behind where the main verb normally sits. This is especially common with the modal verb kan (can) to maintain a natural rhythm, similar to "do" in English (e.g., "Blow-dry the hair, he can do later").
Contrast and Focus
Fronting infinitives is useful for setting up a contrast or expressing a strong preference. Notice how the V2 rule remains consistent, whether the sentence ends with a negation or a time expression.