Breakdown of Ég krefst þeirrar aðstoðar.
ég
I
sá
that (sá, sú, það; þann)
krefjast
to demand
aðstoðin
the assistance
Questions & Answers about Ég krefst þeirrar aðstoðar.
Why do we use the form þeirrar for "that" here?
Þeirrar is the feminine, singular, genitive form of the demonstrative pronoun sá. We need the feminine form to match the gender of the noun aðstoð (assistance), and it must be in the genitive case because of the verb krefst.
Why does this sentence use the genitive case at all?
The verb krefjast (to demand) is one of the Icelandic verbs that requires its object to be in the genitive case. Because you are demanding "that assistance", both the pronoun þeirrar and the noun aðstoðar take the genitive.
Why does krefst end in -st?
This is the middle voice form of the verb krefja. In Icelandic, verbs ending in -st often express a middle voice, which can sometimes change the meaning of the base verb. While krefja means "to demand something of someone," krefjast (which becomes krefst for "I") means "to demand something (for oneself)."
What is the dictionary form (nominative) of aðstoðar?
The base form is aðstoð (assistance), which is a feminine noun. When it changes to the genitive case to match the requirement of the verb, it takes the -ar ending, becoming aðstoðar.
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