# Norwegian: the place of "ikke" in subordinate clauses



## Xander2024

Hei alle sammen,

could someone please tell me if "ikke" has to be put right after the subject and can't be put after the auxiliary verb:

"_Jeg er glad du ikke har brukket noe_".

Would it be a mistake to say "Jeg er glad du _har ikke_ brukket noe"? Or does it depend on whether it is a subordinate clause or not? For example, if we leave out the "Jeg er glad", will it be "Du _har ikke_ brukket noe" or does "ikke" remain after the subject?  

Takk på forhånd.


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## NorwegianNYC

Inversion, is the answer. Subordinate clauses, as well as main clauses starting with a local or temporal expression, or object, will reverse the word order. Normally, you would say "har ikke" (_Jeg har ikke brukket noe"_), but since a conditional/subordinate clause initiates the sentence, you will have to invert the word order. (_Jeg er glad _[conditional] _du ikke har brukket noe_]


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## Xander2024

Tusen takk for eksplikasjonen, NorwegianNYC.


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## Dan2

NorwegianNYC said:


> Inversion, is the answer. Subordinate clauses *(1)*, as well as main clauses starting with a local or temporal expression, or object *(2)*, will reverse the word order. Normally, you would say "har ikke" (_Jeg har ikke brukket noe"_), but since a conditional/subordinate clause initiates the sentence, you will have to invert the word order. (_Jeg er glad _[conditional] _du ikke har brukket noe_]


I could be wrong, but I've always thought of *(1)* and *(2)* as different phenomena, with different effects on word order:

Main clause - normal order: Du har ikke brukket noe.
Main clause with sentence-initial adverb - *inversion of subject and verb*: Heldigvis har du ikke brukket noe.
Subordinate clause - *movement of "ikke"* to before verb: Jeg er glad du ikke har brukket noe.

Note (I believe) that if there is no "ikke" in the subordinate clause, then there is no change at all between main and subordinate:
Du har brukket noe.
Jeg er glad du har brukket noe.
Jeg er glad har du brukket noe.
So there is no inversion due to a main clause simply being made subordinate.

Please correct any misunderstandings on my part.  Thanks.


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## NorwegianNYC

Hi Dan,

I believe the sentence "Jeg er glad har du brukket noe" is incorrect. The correct way of expressing it (albeit the sentiment is somewhat disturbing...) is: "Jeg er glad du har brukket noe."


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## Xander2024

Thanks, Dan.


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## Xander2024

One more question: does "ikke" remain after the subject in constructions like "I know that he could not have done it"? 
Will it be "Jeg vet at han ikke kunne ha gjort det"?

Takk.


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## basslop

Xander2024 said:


> One more question: does "ikke" remain after the subject in constructions like "I know that he could not have done it"?
> Will it be "Jeg vet at han ikke kunne ha gjort det"?
> 
> Takk.



Yes


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## Ben Jamin

Xander2024 said:


> Tusen takk for eksplikasjonen forklaringen, NorwegianNYC.


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