Breakdown of Leikstjórinn horfir andvarpandi á leikmyndina.
horfa
to watch
á
to/at (with verbs of perception: hlusta á, horfa á)
leikstjórinn
the director
andvarpa
to sigh
leikmyndin
the set
Questions & Answers about Leikstjórinn horfir andvarpandi á leikmyndina.
How does the word andvarpandi work in this sentence?
It is the present participle of the verb andvarpa (to sigh), created by adding the ending -andi. In this sentence, it acts as an adverb of manner, describing exactly how the director is looking (sighing, or with a sigh). When used as adverbs, these -andi words never change their endings to match the subject or object.
Both leikstjórinn and leikmyndina start with leik-. What does this root mean?
It comes from leikur, which means a game, a play, or acting. A leikstjóri translates literally to a play-director, and a leikmynd (the set or scenery) translates to a play-picture. Icelandic frequently builds vocabulary by stacking smaller words together like this.
Why does leikmyndina end in -ina here?
The verb horfa (to look) is used with the preposition á (at), which forces the following noun into the accusative case. Because leikmynd is a feminine noun, adding the definite article (the) in the accusative case gives us the ending -ina.
Could we put andvarpandi at the very end of the sentence?
Yes, saying Leikstjórinn horfir á leikmyndina andvarpandi is also completely correct. However, placing the adverb immediately after the verb (horfir andvarpandi) is a very common and natural word order in Icelandic, as it closely links the action to the mood.
Learn Leikstjórinn horfir andvarpandi á leikmyndina and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free