Breakdown of Hann heilsar kennaranum alltaf.
kennarinn
the teacher
hann
he
alltaf
always
heilsa
to greet (+ Dative)
Questions & Answers about Hann heilsar kennaranum alltaf.
Why is kennaranum in the dative case here instead of the accusative?
The verb heilsa (to greet) is a verb that requires its object to be in the dative case. Even though the teacher is the direct object receiving the action, you must use the dative form kennaranum rather than the accusative kennarann.
How is the word kennaranum built from the base word for teacher?
The dictionary form is the masculine noun kennari. Because the verb forces it into the dative case, it changes to kennara. To make it say the teacher, we attach the dative masculine definite article ending -num, resulting in kennaranum.
Why does alltaf go at the end of the sentence?
In English, we usually put frequency adverbs before the main verb (he always greets). In Icelandic, adverbs like alltaf typically go after the verb. When there is an object like kennaranum, the adverb often falls at the very end of a simple sentence, making the literal word order he greets the teacher always.
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