Questions & Answers about Mér er illt í hálsinum þegar ég tala mikið.
Why is it mér and not ég?
Because Icelandic often uses the dative for the person experiencing a feeling or bodily sensation.
So:
- ég = I (nominative)
- mér = to me / for me (dative)
In Mér er illt í hálsinum, the structure is literally closer to It is painful for me in the throat than to I hurt my throat.
If you said Ég er illur/ill, that would mean something more like I am bad, I am unwell, or in some contexts even evil, not my throat hurts.
What is the literal structure of Mér er illt í hálsinum?
A very literal breakdown is:
- Mér = to me / for me
- er = is
- illt = bad / painful
- í hálsinum = in the throat
So the whole thing is roughly:
To me, it is painful in the throat.
That sounds odd in English, but it is a very natural Icelandic way to talk about pain in a body part.
Why is it illt and not illur or ill?