Questions & Answers about Det kan gjøres i morgen.
What does det do in this sentence?
Here det is the subject, like English it in It can be done tomorrow.
It can do two jobs here:
- It can refer to something already understood from context: a task, a plan, a repair, etc.
- It can also function as a more general dummy subject, because Norwegian usually wants an explicit subject in a full clause.
So even if the real thing being talked about is not named in the sentence, det is still natural and often necessary.
Why is it gjøres and not gjøre?
Because the sentence is passive.
- gjøre = do
- gjøres = be done / get done in an -s passive form
Compare:
- Vi kan gjøre det i morgen. = We can do it tomorrow.
This is active. - Det kan gjøres i morgen. = It can be done tomorrow.
This is passive.
So gjøres is used because the focus is on the action being done, not on who does it.
Is gjøres here an infinitive or a present-tense form?
In this sentence, it is functioning as a bare infinitive after the modal verb kan.
That is an important pattern in Norwegian:
- kan gjøre = can do
- kan gjøres = can be done
The form gjøres can look like a present passive form in other contexts, but after kan, it is best understood as the passive infinitive used without å.
Why is there no å before gjøres?
Because modal verbs in Norwegian normally take a bare infinitive.
So after kan, skal, må, vil, bør, and similar verbs, you do not use å.
Examples:
- Jeg kan komme. = I can come.
- Vi må vente. = We must wait.
- Det kan gjøres i morgen. = It can be done tomorrow.
If there were no modal, then you might see å in another structure, but not here.
Could you also say Det kan bli gjort i morgen?
Yes. That is also correct.
Both of these are passive:
- Det kan gjøres i morgen
- Det kan bli gjort i morgen
The difference is mainly one of style and nuance:
- -s passive (gjøres) is often a bit more concise and sometimes feels more formal or written.
- bli + past participle (bli gjort) is very common too and can feel slightly more conversational or event-focused.
In many everyday contexts, they mean almost the same thing.
What tense is the sentence?
Grammatically, kan is in the present tense. But the sentence refers to the future because of i morgen.
This is very normal in Norwegian. Norwegian often uses present tense forms for future meaning when the time is clear from context.
So:
- kan = present form of kunne
- i morgen makes the meaning future
English does something similar sometimes, but Norwegian does it very naturally and often.
Can i morgen go somewhere else in the sentence?
Yes.
The version you have, Det kan gjøres i morgen, is a neutral, standard word order.
But you can also front the time expression:
- I morgen kan det gjøres.
That is also correct. When you move i morgen to the front, Norwegian keeps verb-second word order, so kan comes before det.
So:
- Det kan gjøres i morgen. = neutral
- I morgen kan det gjøres. = puts more focus on tomorrow
Can you leave out det and just say Kan gjøres i morgen?
In a full standard sentence, usually no: Norwegian normally needs a subject, so det is expected.
However, you may see Kan gjøres i morgen in:
- notes
- checklists
- instructions
- informal written comments
There it works as an elliptical or shortened expression, much like English note-style language.
But if you are writing or speaking in full sentences, Det kan gjøres i morgen is the safe and standard version.
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