Breakdown of Við aflýsum kvöldmatnum vegna forfallanna.
við
we
kvöldmaturinn
the dinner
vegna
because of
aflýsa
to cancel (an event)
forföllin
the absences
Questions & Answers about Við aflýsum kvöldmatnum vegna forfallanna.
Why does this sentence use vegna instead of þar sem or fyrst from this lesson?
Vegna is a preposition meaning because of or due to, so it is followed directly by a noun phrase (forfallanna). The words þar sem and fyrst are conjunctions meaning since or as, which means they must connect to a full clause with a subject and a verb. To use this lesson's grammar, you could rephrase this as: Við aflýsum kvöldmatnum þar sem það urðu forföll (We are canceling the dinner since there were cancellations).
Why is the word for dinner (kvöldmatur) in the dative case here as kvöldmatnum?
The verb aflýsa (to cancel) requires its object to be in the dative case. Because of this rule, the masculine noun kvöldmaturinn (the dinner) changes to its definite dative form, kvöldmatnum.
What case does the preposition vegna trigger for the word forfallanna?
The preposition vegna (due to / because of) always governs the genitive case. That is why the neuter plural noun forföll takes its definite genitive form, forfallanna.
The English translation says cancellations, but what does forföll actually mean?
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