Breakdown of Kerfinu var breytt í þjónustuverinu.
vera
to be
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
breyta
to change
þjónustuverið
the call center
kerfið
the system
Questions & Answers about Kerfinu var breytt í þjónustuverinu.
Why is "the system" in the dative case (kerfinu) instead of the nominative?
The verb breyta (to change) always takes a dative object in the active voice. For example, "I changed the system" is Ég breytti kerfinu. When you turn this into a passive sentence ("The system was changed"), the object moves to the front to act as the subject but strictly keeps its dative case. This is known as an oblique passive.
Why is the past participle breytt in the neuter singular form?
In an oblique passive sentence, the main verb and the past participle do not agree with the dative subject. Because the subject (kerfinu) isn't nominative, the past participle defaults to a fixed form, which is always the neuter singular. Even if the dative subject were a masculine or feminine plural word, the participle would still stubbornly remain breytt.
What are the parts that make up the word þjónustuverinu?
It is a compound word in the definite dative form. It combines þjónusta (service) and ver (a center, station, or plant). A þjónustuver is literally a "service center," which is the standard Icelandic term for a customer service desk or call center.
Why does the preposition í trigger the dative case for þjónustuverinu?
The preposition í can take either the accusative or the dative case. It takes the dative when describing a fixed location, answering the question "where?" (as opposed to "where to?"). Since the action happened entirely inside the call center, í takes the dative.
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