Breakdown of Hver kona er að þurrka rykið af borðinu.
vera
to be
borðið
the table
konan
the woman
að
to (infinitive marker)
af
off
hver
each / every
þurrka
to wipe
rykið
the dust
Questions & Answers about Hver kona er að þurrka rykið af borðinu.
Why do we use Hver in this sentence, and does it change depending on the gender?
Hver means 'each' or 'every'. Here, it is in the nominative case to match the subject, kona (woman). Because kona is feminine, we use the feminine form hver. Masculine words also use hver (like hver strákur), but neuter words use hvert (like hvert barn).
Why is the word for table, borðinu, in the dative case?
The preposition af (meaning 'off' or 'from') always forces the noun that follows it into the dative case. Since borð is a neuter noun, adding the definite article in the dative gives us borðinu (the table).
Why does the sentence use rykið (the dust) rather than just ryk (dust)?
In English, we often say 'wiping dust' without the word 'the'. In Icelandic, when you are dealing with a specific instance of an uncountable noun, like the particular dust currently on this table, you usually attach the definite article, making it rykið.
Can þurrka mean both 'to dry' and 'to wipe'?
Yes, the verb að þurrka covers both meanings. You can use it for wiping a surface, like in this sentence, or for drying your hair or clothes. The phrase er að þurrka uses the continuous form to show that the wiping is happening right now.
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