Feasibility: Lade sig gøre
In Danish, a very common way to express that something is practically possible—or impossible—is the idiom at lade sig gøre (literally "to let itself do"). When combined with the dummy subject det, it functions like the English phrases "it can be done" or "it is possible."
You will often see it used with the negative ikke to state that constraints or circumstances prevent an action.
| It is not possible to realize the strategy right now. | Det lader sig ikke gøre at realisere strategien lige nu. |
The Passive Sense of Lade sig
The phrase lade sig can also be paired with other infinitives. When the subject is an inanimate object or an abstract concept, lade sig followed by a regular active infinitive expresses that the subject can be acted upon in that way.
Even though the Danish verb at the end is in its active form, the English translation uses a passive voice. For instance, lader sig finde translates to "can be found," and lader sig omgå means "can be bypassed."
| A realistic compromise can always be reached. | Et realistisk kompromis lader sig altid finde. |
| She says that the rule unfortunately cannot be bypassed. | Hun siger at reglen desværre ikke lader sig omgå. |
People and Persuasion
When the subject is a person, lade sig takes on a more literal meaning: "to let oneself (be)." It indicates whether someone allows an action to be done to them.
This is frequently used with verbs involving persuasion, manipulation, or authority. Just as with inanimate subjects, the Danish infinitive remains in its active form, but it describes a passive action happening to the person.
| The customer did not let himself be fooled by the seller. | Kunden lod sig ikke narre af sælgeren. |
| The manager does not let himself be dictated to by the board. | Lederen lader sig ikke diktere af bestyrelsen. |