Breakdown of Hver er áhugasamur um þetta ljóð?
vera
to be
hver
who / what / which (one)
um
about
þessi
this (m/f)
áhugasamur
interested
ljóðið
the poem
Questions & Answers about Hver er áhugasamur um þetta ljóð?
Why do we use um here when the English translation says interested in?
The Icelandic adjective áhugasamur (interested) always pairs with the fixed preposition um (about), never with í (in). When learning adjectives like this, it is best to memorize the preposition that goes with them as a set phrase.
What case does um trigger for þetta ljóð?
The preposition um forces the following words into the accusative case. Because ljóð (poem) is a neuter word, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its nominative form. The demonstrative pronoun þetta (this) is the neuter accusative form matching the noun.
Why is the adjective áhugasamur in the masculine form if we don't know who we are asking about?
When you start a general question with the question word hver (who) and the identity of the person is unknown, Icelandic grammar defaults to the masculine singular form for any adjectives. You use áhugasamur even if the actual person who answers the question turns out to be female.
Why is it þetta ljóð instead of þessi ljóð?
You have to match the gender of the noun. Ljóð is a neuter noun, so it requires the neuter singular word for this, which is þetta. If you were talking about a masculine noun like bíll (car), you would need the masculine accusative form þennan because of the preposition um.
Learn Hver er áhugasamur um þetta ljóð and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free