Questions & Answers about Vi kan ikke akseptere planen.
Why is kan in the second position?
Norwegian main clauses usually follow the V2 rule, which means the finite verb comes in the second position. In Vi kan ikke akseptere planen, the subject is Vi, so the finite verb kan comes right after it.
Structure:
- Vi = subject
- kan = finite verb
- ikke = negation
- akseptere planen = rest of the verb phrase
This is very typical Norwegian word order.
Why does ikke come after kan?
In a normal main clause, ikke usually comes after the finite verb. Since kan is the finite verb here, ikke follows it:
- Vi kan ikke akseptere planen.
This is different from English, where not often follows an auxiliary too, but Norwegian word order is more fixed in this pattern.
Compare:
- Jeg kommer ikke. = I am not coming.
- Hun vil ikke dra. = She does not want to leave.
Why is it akseptere and not å akseptere?