Question 1

Why do we need því in með því að æfa? Can't we just say með að æfa?

Accepted Answer

In Icelandic, prepositions like með (with/by) cannot link directly to an infinitive verb phrase like að æfa. To bridge the gap, you must insert the pronoun það (it) in the grammatical case that the preposition requires. Because með takes the dative case here, það becomes því. The whole phrase literally means "with it to practice".

Question 2

How would this sentence change if we said "without practicing" instead of "by practicing"?

Accepted Answer

You would use the other phrase from this lesson: án þess að. The preposition án (without) forces the pronoun það into the genitive case, which is þess. The sentence would be: Við náum markmiðinu án þess að æfa... (We reach the goal without practicing...).

Question 3

Why is the word for "the goal" (markmiðinu) in the dative case here?

Accepted Answer

The verb ná (to reach, to achieve) is one of the verbs that requires its object to be in the dative case. The base word is the neuter noun markmið, and when you add the definite article ("the") in the dative case, it becomes markmiðinu.

Question 4

Why is "every day" translated as á hverjum degi instead of just hvern dag?

Accepted Answer

While both mean "every day", using the prepositional phrase á hverjum degi (literally "on each day") is the most natural and common way to express a recurring daily habit in Icelandic. Notice that the preposition á triggers the dative case here, so hver becomes hverjum and dagur becomes degi.

Við náum markmiðinu með því að æfa á hverjum degi.

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