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Breakdown of Áhorfendur klappa eftir leikinn.
eftir
after
leikurinn
the game
áhorfandinn
the spectator
klappa
to clap
Questions & Answers about Áhorfendur klappa eftir leikinn.
Why is leikinn in the accusative case after eftir?
The preposition eftir, when used in a temporal sense (“after…”), governs the accusative. The base noun is leikur (“game”), the definite nominative singular is leikurinn, and its accusative singular form is leikinn.
Why use the definite form leikinn instead of the indefinite leik?
If you say eftir leik it means “after a game” in general. To refer to this specific game just played, Icelandic attaches the definite article as a suffix: nominative leikurinn, accusative leikinn (“after the game”).
What is the basic word order in Icelandic, and why does klappa come right after áhorfendur?
Icelandic main clauses follow a verb‐second (V2) rule. The finite verb must occupy the second position. Here, áhorfendur (subject) is first, klappa (verb) is second, and the time‐phrase eftir leikinn follows.
What case and number is áhorfendur, and why is there no article attached?
Áhorfendur is the indefinite nominative plural of áhorfandi (“spectator”). Indefinite plural nouns in Icelandic don’t take a separate article—the definite plural would be áhorfendurnir (“the spectators”).
What is the tense and person of klappa in this sentence?
It’s present tense (presens). For a third‐person plural subject like áhorfendur, regular verbs take the same form as the infinitive: klappa. (Full paradigm: ég klappa, þú klappar, hann klappar, við klöppum, þið klappið, þeir klappa.)
Is klappa transitive or intransitive? Why isn’t there a direct object here?
Klappa can be both. Transitively it takes an object (e.g., klappa leikaranum, “applaud the actor”). Here it’s used intransitively with the meaning “applaud,” so no direct object is needed—only the adverbial phrase eftir leikinn.
When do I use eftir + noun phrase vs. eftir að + clause?
Use eftir + noun (in accusative) for simple “after the [noun]”: eftir leikinn = “after the game.” Use eftir að + verb clause when you need to link an action: eftir að leiknum lauk = “after the game ended.”
How is áhorfendur formed from the verb áhorfa?
From áhorfa (“to watch”) you add the agent‐forming suffix -andi, giving áhorfandi (“a watcher”). The indefinite nominative plural of that is áhorfendur (“spectators”).
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