Breakdown of Kurteisin krefst þess að þú setjir ekki albogann á borðið.
borðið
the table
þú
you
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
ekki
not
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
setja
to put
að
that (conjunction)
krefjast
to demand
kurteisin
the politeness
alboginn
the elbow
Questions & Answers about Kurteisin krefst þess að þú setjir ekki albogann á borðið.
Why is the verb setjir used here instead of the normal present tense setur?
Setjir is the present subjunctive form. We use the subjunctive here because the first part of the sentence expresses a demand or requirement (krefst þess að - demands that). Verbs of wishing, demanding, or suggesting force the following verb in the að-clause into the subjunctive.
How do we form the present subjunctive setjir from the infinitive setja?
Setja is a Group 1 weak verb. To form the present subjunctive, you drop the -a from the infinitive to get the stem (setj-) and add the present subjunctive endings. For þú (you), the ending is -ir, making it setjir.
What is the word þess doing in the phrase krefst þess að?
The verb krefjast (to demand) requires its object to be in the genitive case. Because you cannot put a whole að clause into a case, Icelandic uses the dummy pronoun það in its genitive form (þess) as a placeholder. It literally translates to 'demands of it that...'.
Why does the sentence use albogann (the elbow) instead of saying 'your elbow'?
In Icelandic, when talking about body parts, you almost always use the definite article rather than a possessive pronoun (like 'your' or 'my') if the owner is obvious from the context of who is performing the action.
Why is borðið (the table) in the accusative case here instead of the dative?
The preposition á takes the accusative case when it describes an action of movement or placement toward a destination. Because you are actively putting (setja) your elbow onto the table, it requires the accusative. If your elbow was already resting there, it would take the dative.
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