Learn Hardcore Swedish: Orkar du öppna dörren, eller vill du att jag gör det? - Do you have the energy to open the door, or do you want me to do it?

orka = have the energy/strength/mental bandwidth to do something. It implies effort or tiredness. Example: Jag orkar inte diska (I don’t have the energy to do the dishes).
kan = can/are able to (ability/possibility). Example: Kan du öppna dörren? is a neutral request in Swedish.
vill = want to. Example: Vill du öppna dörren? asks about desire. In the sentence, Orkar du… sounds considerate: “Are you up to it?” rather than just ability.

Why is it öppna (infinitive) after orkar and not öppnar?

After semi-auxiliary verbs like orka, Swedish uses the bare infinitive: orka + [infinitive]. So it’s Orkar du öppna… not Orkar du öppnar….

Do I need att after orka? Could I say Orkar du att öppna…?

In everyday standard Swedish, you normally drop att after orka: Orkar du öppna… is the idiomatic choice. You can use orka med att if you want the preposition: Orkar du med att öppna…, but that’s heavier in style. Avoid plain orka att in this context.

Why is there a comma before eller? Is it required?

It’s optional here. Swedish generally uses fewer commas than English and often omits a comma before och/eller. A comma can be added to separate two independent clauses or mark a pause. Both versions are acceptable:

Orkar du öppna dörren eller vill du att jag gör det?
Orkar du öppna dörren, eller vill du att jag gör det?

Why is it det in gör det and not den to match dörren?

gör det is a light-verb placeholder meaning “do it” (the whole action). det refers to the action “opening the door,” not to the noun “door.” If you explicitly repeat the opening action with the door as object, you’d use den: Vill du att jag öppnar den? Both are fine; they just emphasize different things (generic action vs. repeating the verb and object).

What does att mean in vill du att jag gör det? Is it the same att as the infinitive “to”?

Here, att means “that” (a complementizer), not the infinitive “to.” It introduces a subordinate clause: att [jag gör det] = “that I do it.” The verb in that clause is finite: gör, not an infinitive.

Why is it gör and not ska göra in att jag gör det? Would att jag ska göra det be better?

Both are correct, with a nuance:

att jag gör det = “that I do it (now/then).” Present tense can cover immediate future in Swedish.
att jag ska göra det = adds an element of intention/plan (“that I’m going to do it”). In offers like this, both are idiomatic. Many speakers slightly prefer att jag ska göra det, but the given sentence is natural.

Why is the word order Orkar du… rather than Du orkar…?

Yes/no questions in Swedish use inversion (V2): the finite verb comes before the subject. Hence Orkar du…? In a statement it would be Du orkar….

Why isn’t it att gör jag det? What’s the word order rule in the clause att jag gör det?

In subordinate clauses (introduced by att, som, när, etc.), Swedish does not use V2. The subject comes before the finite verb: att jag gör det (not att gör jag det).

Can I drop att and say Vill du jag gör det?

In standard Swedish, keep att when the object of vilja is a clause: Vill du att jag gör det? Dropping att like Vill du jag… is informal/colloquial and not recommended in writing or careful speech.

Is Orkar du… polite? When would I prefer Kan du… or Ska jag…?

Orkar du… is considerate and empathetic (“Do you feel up to it?”). Good when someone might be tired or busy.
Kan du… is a very common, neutral request (“Can you open the door?”).
Ska jag…? is a direct offer (“Shall I…?”). You could say: Orkar du öppna dörren, eller ska jag?

Could I rephrase the second part as Vill du att jag öppnar den?

Yes. That version repeats the specific verb and object: öppnar den. It’s slightly more explicit than gör det, which is a generic “do it.”

What’s the breakdown of dörren?

Base noun: en dörr (a door) — common gender.
Definite singular: dörren (the door).
Plural: dörrar; definite plural: dörrarna.

Is the present tense gör really okay for near-future meaning?

Yes. Swedish often uses present tense for scheduled/near-future actions, especially in subordinate clauses or when context makes the timing clear: Vill du att jag gör det (nu)? You can add an adverb for clarity: …att jag gör det nu/sen.

Can I use orka med here? What’s the difference?

You can, but it’s heavier and a bit more emphatic about coping:

Orkar du öppna dörren… (most idiomatic)
Orkar du med att öppna dörren… (more like “Can you cope with opening the door…”) Use orka med when stressing “cope with/put up with” or before a longer att-phrase.