Breakdown of Við þurfum að halda áfram án þess að gefast upp.
við
we
að
to (infinitive marker)
þurfa
to need
halda áfram
to continue, keep going (halda áfram)
án þess að
without doing
gefast upp
to give up
Questions & Answers about Við þurfum að halda áfram án þess að gefast upp.
Why do we use án þess að instead of just án að?
In Icelandic, prepositions like án (without) must be followed by a noun or a pronoun, not directly by an infinitive verb. To fix this, we add the dummy pronoun það (it/that). Because the preposition án forces the word following it to be in the genitive case, það changes to þess. So án þess að gefast upp literally translates to 'without that to give up'.
Why does 'give up' use the form gefast instead of just gefa?
Gefast is the middle voice (the -st form) of the verb gefa (to give). While gefa upp means to surrender or reveal something specific (like giving up a secret or information), the -st form gefast upp is used when you are giving up yourself, which is how you say 'to quit' or 'to surrender'.
How does halda áfram mean 'to keep going'?
The verb halda normally means 'to hold', and the adverb áfram means 'forward' or 'onward'. When put together, they create a fixed phrase meaning 'to hold onward', which translates to 'to continue' or 'to keep going'.
Why are there two að words in this sentence?
Both are infinitive markers, just like the English word 'to' before a verb. The first að links the main verb þurfum (we need) to the infinitive verb halda (to keep). The second að belongs to the structure án þess að, setting up the final infinitive verb gefast (to give up).
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