Questions & Answers about Burde vi have gennemtænkt det?
Why do we use burde have gennemtænkt here instead of just the past tense?
This structure (past tense modal + have + past participle) is used to talk about unfulfilled past obligations or hypothetical situations in hindsight. Using burde have gennemtænkt expresses a sense of regret or reflection, meaning we ought to have thought it through (but we didn't). If you just used the simple past tense gennemtænkte vi det?, it would merely ask a factual question: Did we think it through?
Is gennemtænkt a single word or a combination?
It is a compound verb that translates perfectly to its English equivalent. It is made of the preposition gennem (through) and tænkt (the past participle of tænke, meaning to think). In Danish, these are combined into a single word: at gennemtænke (to think through).
Could I say Skulle vi have gennemtænkt det? instead?
Yes, but it changes the nuance slightly. Burde implies a moral obligation, common sense, or a strong recommendation (ought we to have...). Skulle can also mean should, but it often points to a strict rule, an external requirement, or a past plan (were we supposed to have...). Here, burde emphasizes that it probably would have been a good idea.
What is the word order rule for questions with this three-verb structure?