Han kan ikke motstå henne.

he

Breakdown of Han kan ikke motstå henne.

• ikke: not
• henne: her
• kan: can

Questions & Answers about Han kan ikke motstå henne.

What does each word in Han kan ikke motstå henne mean?

• Han = he
• kan = can / is able to
• ikke = not
• motstå = resist
• henne = her (object form)

A very literal translation is He can not resist her, and the natural English translation is He cannot resist her.

Why is ikke placed after kan?

In a Norwegian main clause, the finite verb usually comes early, and ikke normally comes after that finite verb.

Here, kan is the finite verb, so the pattern is:

Han + kan + ikke + motstå + henne

This is very common with modal verbs:

• Han kan ikke komme = He cannot come
• Jeg vil ikke dra = I do not want to go

So ikke is not attached to motstå; it is negating the whole verbal idea.

Why is it henne and not hun?