Breakdown of Strákurinn er með óþol fyrir hveiti og glúteni.
vera
to be
og
and
strákurinn
the boy
með
with
fyrir
for (on someone's behalf; as in "thanks for")
óþolið
the intolerance
hveitið
the wheat
glútenið
the gluten
Questions & Answers about Strákurinn er með óþol fyrir hveiti og glúteni.
Why does the sentence use er með instead of the verb hafa to mean has?
In Icelandic, you do not use hafa for medical conditions, symptoms, or physical states. Instead, you use vera með (literally to be with). This applies to having a cold, a headache, an allergy, or an intolerance like óþol.
How is the word óþol formed?
It is made up of the negative prefix ó- (meaning un- or in-) and the noun þol, which means stamina, tolerance, or endurance. Together, it perfectly translates to intolerance.
Why do we use the preposition fyrir here?
While English speakers say they have an intolerance to something, Icelandic pairs óþol (as well as ofnæmi, meaning allergy) with the preposition fyrir. When used this way, fyrir always triggers the dative case for the thing you are intolerant of.
Why does glúteni end in -i, and why doesn't hveiti get a new ending if they are both in the dative case?
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