Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Legen kan ikke godkjenne det uten samtykke. - The doctor cannot approve it without consent.

In Norwegian, ikke is a separate word and typically comes after the finite verb in main clauses. Here the finite verb is kan (present tense of å kunne), so you get:

Legen kan ikke godkjenne … = The doctor cannot approve …

You’ll see the same pattern with many verbs:

Jeg spiser ikke kjøtt. (I don’t eat meat.)
Hun kommer ikke i dag. (She isn’t coming today.)

Why is it Legen and not En lege?

Legen is definite singular: the doctor. Norwegian often uses the definite form when the person is understood from context (e.g., your doctor, the doctor in charge, the doctor we’re talking about).

If you said En lege, it would mean a doctor (any doctor, not a specific one):

En lege kan ikke godkjenne … = A doctor cannot approve … (more general)

What is the grammar of kan ikke godkjenne? Why is godkjenne in that form?

After a modal verb like kan (can), Norwegian uses the infinitive of the main verb without å:

kan + infinitive → kan godkjenne (can approve)

So you say:

Legen kan ikke godkjenne … not
Legen kan ikke å godkjenne … (wrong)

Other common modals: skal, vil, må, bør, kan.

Why is it det and not something like den?

det is used for neuter nouns and also very commonly as a general “it/that” referring to an entire situation, decision, document, request, etc.

det = it/that (often neutral and general)
den is typically used for common gender nouns when you’re referring to a specific noun already mentioned.

So godkjenne det often means “approve it/that” where “it” is understood from context (the application, procedure, request, etc.).

What does uten samtykke mean grammatically—why no article?

uten = without, and samtykke = consent. In Norwegian, abstract nouns like this are often used without an article in fixed or general expressions:

uten samtykke = without consent (in general / as a concept)

You can add an article or a possessive if you mean a specific consent:

uten et samtykke = without a (particular) consent form/instance of consent
uten ditt samtykke = without your consent
uten pasientens samtykke = without the patient’s consent

Is samtykke a verb or a noun here? And how is it pronounced/related to other forms?

Here samtykke is a noun meaning consent.

Related forms you may see:

å samtykke (verb) = to consent
samtykke (noun) = consent
samtykke til … = consent to …

Typical pronunciation (rough guide): SAM-tyk-ke (the y is like the Norwegian y sound, not English y).

Could the sentence also be written as Legen kan ikke godkjenne det dersom det ikke foreligger samtykke or something similar? What’s the difference?

Yes—Norwegian can express the same idea in different ways:

Legen kan ikke godkjenne det uten samtykke.
Short and direct: no approval in the absence of consent.
… dersom det ikke foreligger samtykke.
More formal/legal: “if consent is not present/does not exist.”
… uten at det foreligger samtykke.
Also formal: “without there being consent.”

The original sentence is the most compact and natural in everyday or standard professional language.

Is the word order always uten samtykke at the end? Can it move?

It can move depending on emphasis, though the end position is very common.

Natural options:

Legen kan ikke godkjenne det uten samtykke. (neutral)
Uten samtykke kan legen ikke godkjenne det. (emphasizes “without consent”)
Legen kan uten samtykke ikke godkjenne det. (possible but usually feels clunkier)

Fronting (Uten samtykke …) is especially common in writing when you want to highlight the condition.

Does kan ikke mean “is not allowed to” or “is not able to”? Which one is intended?

kan ikke can mean either:

cannot (ability), or
may not / is not allowed to (permission/rules)

In this kind of context with doctors and approval, it usually means not permitted / not allowed under rules/law/ethics. If you wanted to stress physical/practical inability, you’d typically provide context that makes that clear.

Would Norwegian ever say Legen kan ikke godkjenne den uten samtykke? When would that be correct?

Yes, if “it/that” clearly refers to a specific common-gender noun previously mentioned, e.g. søknaden (the application) or avtalen (the agreement):

Søknaden (common gender) → you can refer back with den
Legen kan ikke godkjenne den uten samtykke.

But when the thing is unspecified, or neuter, or a whole situation, det is the default.

Is godkjenne the best verb here? Are there close alternatives?

å godkjenne = to approve/authorize and is very common for official decisions.

Close alternatives (with slightly different nuance):

å godta = to accept (more general/personal)
å tillate = to permit/allow (focuses on permission)
å autorisere = to authorize (more formal/technical)

In administrative/medical contexts, godkjenne is often the most idiomatic for “approve.”