Word
Hún tilkynnir vinnufélaganum sínum um nýja frestinn.
Meaning
She informs her coworker about the new deadline.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Questions & Answers about Hún tilkynnir vinnufélaganum sínum um nýja frestinn.
Why is vinnufélaganum in the dative case?
Because tilkynna commonly takes a recipient in the dative: tilkynna einhverjum = inform someone / notify someone.
So vinnufélaganum is dative singular definite of vinnufélagi (coworker), meaning to the coworker.
What does the ending -num in vinnufélaganum mean?
It’s the combination of:
- the definite article suffix (the -inn/-inn/-ið system, which changes by case), and
- the dative singular ending.
In other words, vinnufélaganum = to the coworker (not just to a coworker).
Why is sínum used instead of hennar?
sínum is the reflexive possessive (from sinn) and it refers back to the subject (Hún).
So vinnufélaganum sínum means to her (own) coworker.
If you used hennar, it would typically suggest the coworker belongs to some other female person already being talked about (i.e., not reflexive to the subject), depending on context.