Det kan jeg godt.

I can do that.

Breakdown of Det kan jeg godt.

• det kan jeg godt: I can do that

Questions & Answers about Det kan jeg godt.

Why does the sentence start with Det?

In Det kan jeg godt, det usually refers to that or it in English.

So the sentence literally looks like:

• Det = that / it
• kan = can
• jeg = I
• godt = well / fine / indeed, depending on context

A more natural English rendering is often something like I can do that, Yes, I can, or That I can do.

In Danish, it is very common to begin a sentence with the thing being talked about, especially when replying to something just mentioned.

Why is it kan jeg and not jeg kan?

This is because Danish follows the V2 rule in main clauses: the finite verb usually comes in the second position.

Here, Det is placed first, so the verb must come next:

• Det
  • kan
    • jeg
      • godt

If you started with jeg, then you would say:

• Jeg kan det godt

Both are possible, but they are not used in exactly the same way. Det kan jeg godt puts more focus on det or works well as a response to something already mentioned.