Ditransitive Verbs: Accusative + Genitive
In Icelandic, some verbs take two objects: a person and a thing. While many verbs use a dative and an accusative, a specific group of verbs governs an accusative person (the one being asked or demanded) and a genitive thing (the thing being asked for).
Two very common verbs that use this pattern are biðja (to ask) and krefja (to demand).
Let's look at how to use this structure to write a rather demanding wish list to Santa Claus. The person we are addressing, jólasveinninn (Santa Claus), goes into the accusative case (jólasveininn). The abstract concepts we are asking for—such as frægð (fame), náð (mercy), or vernd (protection)—go into the genitive case (frægðar, náðar, verndar).
When you want to be a bit more forceful, you can use krefja (to demand). Notice how the things being demanded, like answers (svör) and justice (réttlæti), also take the genitive case (svara, réttlætis).
Another common phrase that uses this accusative + genitive structure is að spyrja einhvern ráða (to ask someone for advice). The verb spyrja takes the accusative person, and the noun ráð (advice) is in the genitive plural (ráða).
Using Pronouns
You can easily swap out the person for an accusative pronoun, such as mig (me), þig (you), or hann (him). The thing you are asking for or demanding remains in the genitive case.