Breakdown of Við eigum að opna aðganginn fyrir viðskiptavininn.
við
we
að
to (infinitive marker)
opna
to open
eiga
to own / to have (a relationship)
fyrir
for (on someone's behalf; as in "thanks for")
viðskiptavinurinn
the customer
aðgangurinn
the access
Questions & Answers about Við eigum að opna aðganginn fyrir viðskiptavininn.
Why use eigum að here instead of þurfum að, since both translate to "have to"?
While both mean "have to," they have a slightly different flavor. Eiga að implies a duty, an expectation, or a scheduled task—it means we are supposed to do it as part of our job. Þurfa að expresses a stronger, more fundamental need or requirement.
Since we are learning about oblique passives with dative subjects, would the passive version of this sentence use a dative subject?
No, it wouldn't. Oblique passives (where the subject is dative and the past participle stays neuter singular) only occur when the verb takes a dative or genitive object. Because opna takes an accusative object (aðganginn), turning this into a passive would make the object a standard nominative subject: Aðgangurinn á að vera opnaður (The access has to be opened).
Why are both aðganginn and viðskiptavininn in the accusative case here?
They are in the accusative for two different reasons. Aðganginn is the direct object of the verb opna (to open), which governs the accusative case. Viðskiptavininn is accusative because it directly follows the preposition fyrir (for), which triggers the accusative case in this context.
How do you break down the word viðskiptavininn?
It is a compound word made from viðskipti (business or transactions) and vinur (friend)—so a customer is literally a "business friend"! Here it is in the accusative case with the definite article attached. The base word vinur drops the -ur to become vin in the accusative, and then we add the accusative article -inn to get viðskiptavininn.
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