Log inSign up

Þeir myndu drepa áhöfn skipanna.

Þeir myndu drepa áhöfn skipanna.
They would kill the crew of the ships.
From Lesson 200:The conditional auxiliary (myndi)·Icelandic

Questions & Answers about Þeir myndu drepa áhöfn skipanna.

How does myndu work here to mean 'would'?
Myndu is the past subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb munu (will). To say someone 'would' do something, Icelandic pairs this past subjunctive form with an infinitive verb—in this case, drepa (to kill). Because the subject þeir (they) is plural, the verb takes the plural form myndu.
Is áhöfn the direct object here, and if so, what case is it?
Yes, it is the direct object of the verb drepa (to kill), which requires the accusative case. Áhöfn (crew) is a feminine noun, and its accusative singular form happens to look exactly the same as its nominative (dictionary) form.
Why does skipanna come after áhöfn instead of before it?
In Icelandic, possession is typically shown by placing the genitive (possessive) word right after the thing being possessed. So, 'the crew of the ships' or 'the ships' crew' is structured literally as 'crew ships-the-of' (áhöfn skipanna).
How do we break down the ending on skipanna?
It is in the genitive (possessive) plural definite form. The base word is skip (ship). The genitive plural without the article is skipa ('of ships'). Adding the definite plural ending -nna gives us skipanna ('of the ships').

Learn Þeir myndu drepa áhöfn skipanna 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
Start learning Icelandic →