Ditransitive Verbs: Dative and Genitive
In Icelandic, ditransitive verbs require two objects: usually a person receiving the action (the indirect object) and the thing being given or discussed (the direct object).
While many verbs use the dative case for the person and the accusative for the thing, a specific group of formal verbs requires the dative case for the person and the genitive case for the thing.
Three key verbs follow this Dative + Genitive pattern:
- óska (to wish)
- unna (to grant)
- synja (to deny)
Óska (To wish)
When writing formal greeting cards, you will often use the verb óska. The person you are wishing well takes the dative case, and the joy, success, or recovery you are wishing them takes the genitive case.
| I wish you sincere joy and good success. | Ég óska þér innilegrar gleði og góðs gengis. |
| I wish you heartfelt happiness. | Ég óska þér innilegrar hamingju. |
Notice how the pronoun þér (you) is in the dative, while the adjectives and nouns like innilegrar hamingju (heartfelt happiness) and góðs gengis (good success) are in the genitive.
This pattern remains the same when wishing a couple well, such as brúðhjónin (the bridal couple), which becomes brúðhjónunum in the dative.
| We wish the bridal couple much luck and prosperity. | Við óskum brúðhjónunum mikillar gæfu og farsældar. |
Unna (To grant)
The verb unna means to grant or to not begrudge someone something. It follows the exact same rule: the person granted the thing is in the dative, and the thing granted is in the genitive.
| The grandfather granted the bridal couple all prosperity. | Afinn unni brúðhjónunum allrar farsældar. |
Synja (To deny)
In official correspondence, you will frequently encounter the verb synja (to deny or refuse). Just like the others, the applicant or person being denied is in the dative case, and the request, visa, or certificate they are denied is in the genitive case.
| The authority must deny the applicant the visa. | Stjórnvaldið verður að synja umsækjandanum vegabréfsáritunarinnar. |
| The administration has denied the applicant this demand. | Stjórnsýslan hefur synjað umsækjandanum þessarar kröfu. |
Even when the sentence structure changes—such as when the verb is used in a relative clause with sem (who/which/that)—the case requirements of synja remain strict.
| It is the doctor who denies the patient the certificate. | Það er læknirinn sem synjar sjúklingnum vottorðsins. |
