Breakdown of Móttakandinn þarf að borga burðargjaldið.
að
to (infinitive marker)
þurfa
to need
borga
to pay
burðargjaldið
the postage
móttakandinn
the recipient
Questions & Answers about Móttakandinn þarf að borga burðargjaldið.
How does the word móttakandinn break down?
It comes from the verb phrase að taka á móti (to receive). The -andi suffix is used to create a noun meaning "the one who does the action" (like "-er" or "-ant" in English), making móttakandi "the recipient". The -nn at the end is the attached definite article "the".
How do the endings change on -andi nouns like móttakandi?
-andi nouns that refer to people are weak masculine nouns. They take an -a ending in the accusative, dative, and genitive singular cases. Here, it is the subject of the sentence, so it is in the nominative case and keeps the -i.
Why is there an að between þarf and borga?
The verb þurfa (to need) requires the infinitive marker að (to) before the verb that follows it. This is a good reminder because some common helper verbs like vilja (to want) or geta (to be able to) connect directly to the next verb without að, but þurfa always needs it.
What are the parts of the compound noun burðargjaldið?
It is made of burðar, which is the genitive (possessive) form of burður (carrying or transport), and gjald (fee or payment). Together they mean "postage". Because gjald is a neuter noun, it takes the neuter definite article -ið at the end.
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