Breakdown of Det lader sig ikke gøre at realisere strategien lige nu.
det
it (neuter)
nu
now
ikke
not
at
to
lige
just, right (now, here)
lade
to let
gøre
to do / to make (cause to be)
sig
oneself / himself / herself / themselves
realisere
to realize
strategien
the strategy
Questions & Answers about Det lader sig ikke gøre at realisere strategien lige nu.
How does "det lader sig ikke gøre" translate literally, and why does it mean "it is not possible"?
Literally, det lader sig ikke gøre translates to "it lets itself not do." In Danish, lade sig followed by an infinitive is a very common idiom used to express whether a specific action can or cannot be accomplished. It is the natural Danish equivalent of saying "it can't be done" or "it is not possible."
The lesson mentions using "lade sig" with a passive infinitive, but "gøre" is active here. Why?
That is a great observation! While you will often see lade sig used with true passive infinitives (for example, lade sig overbevise meaning "let oneself be convinced"), the specific phrase lade sig gøre is a fixed idiom. It breaks the usual pattern by using the active infinitive gøre but still carries a passive meaning ("be doable"). You just have to memorize it as a set phrase.
Why is the negation "ikke" placed between "sig" and "gøre"?
This follows standard Danish word order for main clauses. The main conjugated verb, lader, is in the second position, and is immediately followed by its reflexive pronoun sig. Central adverbs like ikke come right after that, which pushes the infinitive verb gøre to the end of the main clause.
What exactly does the "det" at the start of the sentence refer to?
Det acts as a "dummy" or placeholder subject. The real subject—the actual thing that cannot be done—is the entire infinitive phrase at realisere strategien lige nu (to realize the strategy right now). Because that phrase is heavy and awkward to put at the very front of the sentence, Danish puts det in the subject position and delays the real subject until the end.
Could I just say "Det er ikke muligt at realisere strategien" instead?
Yes, you absolutely could, and it would mean the same thing. However, det lader sig ikke gøre is a very natural and slightly more dynamic way to express this in Danish. While det er ikke muligt just states a general impossibility, lader sig ikke gøre specifically focuses on the fact that the action cannot be executed, which is very common in professional or planning contexts.
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