Questions & Answers about Det var dumt ikke at have spurgt.
Why is ikke placed before at in this sentence?
In Danish infinitive clauses, sentence adverbs like ikke (not) usually come right before the infinitive marker at (to). So, to say 'not to have asked', you must say ikke at have spurgt.
Why is the adjective dumt used instead of dum?
The adjective gets a -t added to the end because it describes the neuter pronoun det (it). Whenever you use det to describe a general situation or action, like 'It was stupid', the adjective must be in its neuter form.
spurgt looks very different from the verb 'to ask'. What is the base form?
The infinitive is at spørge. It is an irregular verb, and spurgt is its past participle. The vowel changes from ø to u, which is a pattern you will see in a few other irregular Danish verbs as well.
Why do we use at have spurgt instead of just at spørge?
The phrase at have spurgt is the perfect infinitive. It emphasizes that the action of asking was supposed to happen in the past, before the moment that is being called stupid. It works exactly like 'to have asked' in English.