Kan du stänga dörren, tack?

Can you close the door, please?

Breakdown of Kan du stänga dörren, tack?

• du: you
• kunna: can
• tack: please
• dörren: the door
• stänga: to close

Questions & Answers about Kan du stänga dörren, tack?

Why is it stänga and not stänger or stäng?

Because kan is a modal verb, and Swedish uses the bare infinitive after modals: kan … stänga.

• Present simple: Du stänger dörren.
• Imperative/command: Stäng dörren!
• Modal + infinitive (no att): Kan du stänga dörren?

Why does the verb come first (Kan du) instead of the subject (Du kan)?

Yes/no questions in Swedish put the finite verb first (V1 word order).

• Statement: Du kan stänga dörren.
• Question: Kan du stänga dörren?

Why is it dörren (definite) and not dörr?

You’re referring to a specific, contextually known door, so you use the definite form: dörr-en (the -en ending marks singular definite for this common-gender noun).

• Indefinite: en dörr
• Definite: dörren
• Plural: dörrar
• Definite plural: dörrarna
  Note: With a possessive, don’t double the definiteness: din dörr (not ✗din dörren).

Does tack here mean “please”? How polite is it?

Yes. Tack literally means “thanks,” but in requests it functions like “please,” anticipating compliance. It’s a neutral, friendly way to soften a request. Alternatives:

• More tentative/polite: Skulle du kunna stänga dörren?
• Polite, slightly old-fashioned/formulaic: Var snäll och stäng dörren. / Var vänlig och stäng dörren.
• Very formal/written: Vänligen stäng dörren.
  Avoid mid-sentence snälla as an adverb; better as an interjection: Snälla, kan du…

Is the comma before tack necessary?

It’s standard because tack is an afterthought/interjection. You’ll also see:

• Kan du stänga dörren? Tack! (two sentences)
• Without the comma is common in casual writing, but the comma is preferred.

Is Kan du… polite enough, or should I prefer Skulle du kunna…?

Kan du …, tack? is perfectly polite in everyday speech, especially with a friendly tone.
Skulle du kunna… (or Kunde du…) is more tentative and extra polite/formal. Use it if you want to be especially courteous or indirect.

Can adding inte make it softer, like in English “Couldn’t you…”?

Yes. Kan du inte stänga dörren? often sounds softer/more coaxing. To say “Yes (I can)” to a negative question, use Jo (not Ja):

• A: Kan du inte stänga dörren?
• B: Jo, det kan jag.

How do I answer this naturally?

• Yes: Ja/Visst/Absolut/Javisst. / Ja, det kan jag.
• No: Nej, tyvärr. / Jag kan inte, tyvärr.
• If contradicting a negative question: Jo.

How do I pronounce the tricky sounds?

• Kan: short a [a], “a” like in Italian “pasta.”
• du: long fronted rounded vowel [dʉː] (pursed lips, high tongue).
• stänga: ä ≈ [ɛ] (like “bet” but slightly tenser); ng = [ŋ] (as in “sing”); stress on the first syllable: [ˈstɛŋa].
• dörren: ö short ≈ [œ] (like British “bird” but more fronted); double rr signals a short vowel + long consonant: [ˈdœrːɛn].
• tack: ck = long Yes/no questions typically have a rising final intonation; tack is lightly de-stressed.

Can I say Stäng dörren, tack. instead?

Yes. Imperatives are common and not inherently rude in Swedish, especially with tack or softeners like är du snäll:

• Stäng dörren, tack.
• Stäng dörren, är du snäll.
  The modal version (Kan du…) is a bit more indirect.

Should I use ni instead of du to be polite?

Use ni for addressing more than one person. Using Ni as a formal singular is rare today and can feel old-fashioned or overly formal; it’s safer to stick with du for one person unless a context clearly calls for Ni (e.g., very formal customer service in some places).

Any synonyms or variants for stänga dörren? Anything to avoid?

• Colloquial/variant: stäng igen dörren, slå igen dörren (“shut the door”).
• Different meaning: låsa dörren = “lock the door” (not just close).
• Avoid: stänga av dörren (that means “turn off,” used for devices).

When would I use att with stänga?

Not after modals, but you use att in many other infinitive clauses:

• After certain adjectives/nouns: Det är svårt att stänga dörren. / Det är dags att stänga.
• With some verbs/phrases: Jag lovade att stänga dörren. / Hjälp mig att stänga.
  After common modals (kan, ska, vill, måste, bör, får, brukar) you omit att.

Where do I put inte or adverbs here?

With a modal, place them after the subject and before the infinitive:

• Kan du inte stänga dörren?
• Kan du snabbt stänga dörren?
  Adverbs of manner/time can also go at the end: Kan du stänga dörren snabbt?

Can I add “for me” or similar?

Yes:

• Kan du stänga dörren åt mig? (do it for me/on my behalf)
• Kan du stänga dörren för min skull? (for my sake)
  Plain Kan du stänga dörren, tack? is usually enough.

Is there a colloquial contraction of dörren?

In speech you’ll often hear dörrn (schwa drops): Kan du stänga dörrn, tack? Write dörren in standard spelling.