Word
Kan du lide is? — Ja, det kan jeg.
Meaning
Do you like ice cream? — Yes, I do.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Kan du lide is? — Ja, det kan jeg.
Why are there two words (kan and lide) for the verb to like?
The Danish phrase for to like is always made of two parts: the helper verb kan (can) and the main verb lide (which originally meant to suffer or endure). You will always see them used together for this meaning, often with the subject in the middle when asking a question.
Why is there no word for do in the Danish question?
Danish does not use a helper word like do to ask questions. Instead, you just put the verb before the subject. To turn the statement du kan lide (you like) into a question, you simply move the first verb to the front: Kan du lide (Can you like).
Why does the reply use kan instead of a word for do?
In Danish short answers, you always reuse the first verb from the question. Because the question starts with kan, the answer must use kan. If the question had started with har (have) or er (am/are/is), the short answer would use those verbs instead.
Why does the answer say det kan jeg instead of just jeg kan?
In Danish, you cannot just leave a short answer at Yes, I can. You must include the placeholder word det (it/that) to stand in for the thing you were just asked about (liking ice cream). Literally, you are saying Yes, that can I.
Why is the word order det kan jeg instead of jeg kan det?