Breakdown of Ef snillingurinn hefði hugmyndina, smíðaði hann uppfinninguna.
hann
he
hugmyndin
the idea
hafa
to have
smíða
to build (craft, forge)
ef
if
snillingurinn
the genius
uppfinningin
the invention
Questions & Answers about Ef snillingurinn hefði hugmyndina, smíðaði hann uppfinninguna.
How can we tell that smíðaði means 'would build' here, rather than just the normal past tense 'built'?
Because smíða is a weak verb, its past subjunctive form is completely identical to its normal past tense. We know it means 'would build' here because the first part of the sentence sets up a hypothetical 'if' (ef) scenario.
Is hefði also identical to its normal past tense form?
No, the verb hafa is an important exception. The normal past tense ('he had') is hafði, but in the past subjunctive, the vowel changes to make hefði. You will see this a lot in hypothetical 'if' sentences!
Why does the second half of the sentence start with the verb smíðaði instead of the subject hann?
This happens because of the V2 (verb-second) rule. The entire 'if' clause (Ef snillingurinn hefði hugmyndina) counts as the first piece of information. To keep the main verb in the second position, smíðaði has to come right after the comma, before the subject hann.
Why do both hugmyndina and uppfinninguna end in -na?
They are both feminine nouns with the definite article attached ('the idea' and 'the invention'). Because they are the direct objects being had and built, they are in the accusative case. For feminine nouns, the definite accusative ending is usually -ina or -una.
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