Breakdown of Konan leiðir barnið yfir götuna.
barnið
the child
konan
the woman
yfir
past / over, across
gatan
the street
leiða
to lead
Questions & Answers about Konan leiðir barnið yfir götuna.
Why is götuna in the accusative case here instead of the dative?
The preposition yfir (across) takes the accusative case when it describes movement from one place to another. If something was just stationary over the street, you would use the dative case instead.
If götuna is accusative, how is the ending formed?
The root word is gata (street), which is a feminine noun. In the accusative case, it changes to götu. To say the street, you add the feminine accusative definite article -na to the end, making it götuna.
Is barnið (the child) also in the accusative case?
Yes! The verb leiðir forces the object being led into the accusative case. Because barn is a neuter noun, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its nominative form, even with the attached article -ið.
Does the verb leiða mean to physically lead someone?
Yes, in everyday Icelandic, leiða is very commonly used for physical guidance. When talking about a child, it almost always implies holding their hand while walking.
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