Eftir klukkutíma líður honum næstum eins og áður.

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Breakdown of Eftir klukkutíma líður honum næstum eins og áður.

• eftir: after
• áður: before
• líða: to feel

Questions & Answers about Eftir klukkutíma líður honum næstum eins og áður.

What does each word mean, and what’s the literal structure?

• Eftir = after/in (a certain time from now)
• klukkutíma = an hour (accusative singular of the compound klukkutími, clock+time)
• líður = feels/goes (3rd person singular present of að líða)
• honum = to him (dative of hann)
• næstum = almost/nearly
• eins og = as/like
• áður = before/earlier

Literal feel: “After an hour, feels to-him almost as before.”

Why is honum in the dative case (not hann)?

Because að líða in the “feel” sense is impersonal and takes a dative experiencer: the feeling “goes for” someone. So you say:

• Mér líður vel. = I feel good. (to-me feels well)
• Honum líður illa. = He feels bad. (to-him feels badly)

Can I say Hann líður to mean “He feels”?

Not for this meaning. For “feel (well/ill/etc.)” you must use the dative: Honum líður… / Henni líður… / Mér líður…
Note: Hann líður can occur in the separate meaning “he suffers” (rare/poetic), but to avoid ambiguity use Hann þjáist for “he suffers.”

What is the grammatical subject here?