Questions & Answers about Normalt gider vi ikke folde tøjet.
Why is there no at before folde?
The verb gider (bother to) is part of a special group of verbs that take a bare infinitive. This means it connects directly to the next verb without using the word at (to). You just say gider... folde.
Why is the word order gider vi instead of vi gider?
Danish uses the V2 rule, meaning the verb must be the second piece of information in a main clause. Because this sentence starts with the adverb Normalt, the verb gider must come next. The subject vi gets pushed to the third spot.
Could I put ikke right after gider?
No. In a main clause where the verb comes before the subject, the subject must come between the verb and ikke. That is why it has to be gider vi ikke and never gider ikke vi.
Why does 'the clothes' translate to tøjet, which looks like a singular word?
While 'clothes' is plural in English, the Danish word tøj acts like a singular mass noun (very much like the English word 'clothing'). Because it is a neuter word, you add -et to the end to make it definite, giving you tøjet (the clothes).