Questions & Answers about Det er ulovligt og uansvarligt at stjæle.
How does the prefix u- change the meaning of the words ulovligt and uansvarligt?
The prefix u- in Danish works exactly like the English prefixes un-, il-, or ir-. It negates the base adjective. By adding it to lovlig (legal) and ansvarlig (responsible), you get their exact opposites: illegal and irresponsible.
Why do both ulovligt and uansvarligt end in -t in this sentence?
They get the -t ending because they describe the subject det (it), which is a neuter pronoun. In Danish, adjectives must agree with the gender of the noun or pronoun they describe, so the neuter -t is added to the base forms ulovlig and uansvarlig.
Where does the word ulovligt come from?
The core of the word is the noun lov, which means law. Adding the suffix -lig turns it into the adjective lovlig (legal or lawful). Finally, adding the negative prefix u- makes it ulovlig (illegal).
Why do we need the word at before stjæle here?
The word at is the infinitive marker, just like the word to in the English phrase to steal. Because the general action of stealing is what is being described as illegal and irresponsible, the verb stays in its dictionary form (the infinitive) with at in front of it.