Questions & Answers about Ég kaupi ekkert nema tómata.
Why is it tómata and not tómatar?
Because the noun is a direct object and needs the accusative plural. With the verb kaupa (“to buy”), objects go in the accusative. The word after nema (“except”) keeps the case it would have as the object:
- Nom. pl.: tómatar (“tomatoes” as the subject)
- Acc. pl.: tómata (“tomatoes” as the object)
- Acc. pl. definite: tómatana (“the tomatoes” as the object)
If you remove the exception phrase, you get the normal object: Ég kaupi tómata.
What case is ekkert here, and why does it end in -t?
Functionally it’s accusative (it’s the object of kaupi), but in neuter singular the nominative and accusative look the same. Ekkert is the neuter singular form of a negative pronoun meaning “nothing.” The -t ending marks neuter singular in nom/acc, just like in adjectives: stórt, gott, and the numeral eitt.
What exactly does nema do here?
- With a noun phrase, nema means “except/but.” It does not assign a case; the following noun appears in whatever case the context requires: nema tómata (accusative because it’s the object of kaupi).
- With a full clause, nema means “unless”: for example, Ég kem ekki, nema þú komir (“I won’t come unless you come”). You may also see nema að before clauses.
Can I say ekki nema tómata instead of ekkert nema tómata? Is there a difference?