Breakdown of Brosandi kaupmaður selur silki á basarnum.
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
selja
to sell
brosa
to smile
silkið
the silk
basarinn
the bazaar
kaupmaðurinn
the merchant
Questions & Answers about Brosandi kaupmaður selur silki á basarnum.
Why doesn't brosandi have a masculine ending to match kaupmaður?
Brosandi is a present participle (formed from the verb brosa, meaning "to smile"). When present participles are used as adjectives in Icelandic, they are indeclinable. This means they will always end in -andi regardless of the gender, number, or case of the noun they describe!
Why is the word for bazaar written as basarnum instead of just basarinn?
The preposition á takes the dative case when describing a static location (where something is currently happening or located). The masculine noun basar with the attached definite article therefore becomes basarnum ("the bazaar") in the dative case.
How is the word kaupmaður (merchant) formed?
It is a compound word made of kaup (purchase or trade) and maður (man or person). You will see kaup used in many business-related words across Icelandic, such as the verb kaupa (to buy).
What is the infinitive form of the verb selur?
The infinitive is selja (to sell). It is a weak verb that drops its -j- in the singular present tense (ég sel, þú selur, hann selur) but keeps it in the plural (við seljum).
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