"Warum können Sie es nicht tun?"
Translation:Why can't you do it?
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2608
Frustrating that translating as "why are you not able to do it?" is marked as incorrect, but one of the correct responses is "why are you unable to do it?"
The German sentence is in present tense, your translation is in past tense.
why is "Why can't they do it?" incorrect? because the "Sie" is capitalized?
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Yes, if Sie was in the beginning of the sentence, we couldn't be sure if it was they or you, but that way it's definitely formal you, they would be just sie.
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Thanks. I have also seen "heute" at the beginning of sentences so that's another possibility.
Yes, heute is often at the beginning of sentences, but from my experience, when you're asking a question, the question-word (was, wer, wo, warum etc.) is usually the first word.
Can someone help me understand the order of words in Deutsch sentences , is there any rule? At least some general rule, Thank you.
The normal word order is like in English subject, predicate, object: Sie können es (tun). The word "tun" is not necessary: Sie können das (that)! English: You (or they) can do that. If there is a modal verb (can) then it is put (as the preticate) in the second position (like in English) but the verb (tun, sagen or a different verb) gets the last position in the sentence: Sie können es (accusative) mir (dative) sagen. In a question without an interrogative pronoun: The verb (or modal verb) gets the first position: Können Sie es? = Can you do it. If there is a modal verb, then the verb is put in the last position: Können Sie es mir sagen? If there is an interrogative, then that gets the first position: Wann (when) können Sie es tun? Warum können Sie es heute nicht tun?