Questions & Answers about Beltið mitt passar ekki við þennan kjól.
What does passa við mean here?
Here passa við means to match, to go with, or to suit in the sense of appearance, color, or style.
So Beltið mitt passar ekki við þennan kjól means that the belt and the dress do not look right together.
A useful contrast:
- Beltið passar. = The belt fits.
- Beltið passar við kjólinn. = The belt matches the dress.
The preposition við changes the meaning.
Why is it við þennan kjól and not með þennan kjól?
Because Icelandic normally uses passa við for the idea of matching or going with something.
Even though English uses with in go with this dress, Icelandic does not usually use með in this expression.
So:
- passa við = match / go with
- með usually means with in other senses, such as accompaniment, instrument, or possession
So this is something you should learn as a set phrase: passa við + accusative.
Why is þennan in that form?
Because þennan agrees with kjól, and kjól is: