Breakdown of Du skal kun klippe spidserne.
du
you
skulle
to have to / must / to be going to
klippe
to cut (e.g., with scissors)
kun
only
Questions & Answers about Du skal kun klippe spidserne.
Since this lesson is about infinitive topicalization, how would we change this sentence to front the infinitive and focus on the action?
You can move the infinitive phrase to the front, which pushes the finite verb (skal) to the second position to maintain the V2 rule: Klippe spidserne skal du kun. This adds focus, translating roughly to 'As for cutting the tips, that is all you have to do.'
Why use klippe here instead of skære for 'to cut'?
In Danish, at klippe specifically means cutting with a tool that has two blades, like scissors or shears (used for hair, paper, or bushes). At skære means cutting with a single blade like a knife (used for bread or meat). Since 'the tips' here almost certainly refers to hair, scissors are implied, making klippe the right choice.
The English translation says 'only need to', but the Danish uses skal (must). Why not use behøver?
You absolutely could say Du behøver kun at klippe..., but Du skal kun... is extremely common in everyday spoken Danish to express 'you only have to' or 'you just need to'. The addition of the adverb kun (only) softens the strict obligation that is usually associated with skal.
What is the root word for spidserne, and what else can it mean in a B2 context?