Breakdown of Hún sækir um vinnu hjá fyrirtækinu.
hún
she
vinnan
the work
hjá
next to / at (someone's) place, with
fyrirtækið
the company
sækja um
to apply for
Questions & Answers about Hún sækir um vinnu hjá fyrirtækinu.
I know sækja usually means to fetch or attend. Why does it mean apply here?
When you add the preposition um to sækja, it creates a new meaning. The phrase sækja um specifically means to apply for something, like a job, a grant, or a permit.
Why does the word for work change from vinna to vinnu in this sentence?
The preposition um always forces the noun that comes right after it into the accusative case. For the feminine noun vinna, the accusative form is vinnu.
Why use hjá for at the company? Can I use í or á instead?
When talking about working for or applying to a specific company or person, Icelandic uses hjá. You can think of it as saying she is applying for work with the company. You would generally use í or á only when referring to a physical building or location.
How is the word fyrirtækinu formed?
This is the dative definite form of the neuter noun fyrirtæki (company). The preposition hjá always takes the dative case. To say the company, you add the neuter dative definite suffix -nu to the end of the word.
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