Breakdown of Fæturnir eiga að vera beinir á gólfinu.
vera
to be
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
gólfið
the floor
eiga að
to be supposed to
fóturinn
the foot / the leg
beinn
straight
Questions & Answers about Fæturnir eiga að vera beinir á gólfinu.
How do we get fæturnir from the word for foot?
The singular word for foot is fótur. It is a root noun, meaning its root vowel changes in the plural instead of just taking a standard ending. The ó changes to æ (a vowel shift known as i-umlaut), making the plural fætur (feet). Finally, we add the masculine plural definite article -nir to get fæturnir (the feet).
Why use eiga að instead of ættu or skulu for should?
While ættu and skulu can both translate to should, the phrase eiga að specifically means are supposed to or have to. In this sentence, it gives a direct instruction about posture: the feet are meant to be straight on the floor.
Why is the adjective for straight spelled beinir here?
Adjectives in Icelandic must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. Fæturnir is masculine, plural, and in the nominative case (since it is the subject). Therefore, the base adjective beinn (straight) takes the masculine plural nominative ending, becoming beinir.
Why does á gólfinu take the dative case here?
The preposition á can take either the accusative or dative case. It takes the dative case when describing a stationary location (where something is). Because the feet are just resting on the floor, not moving toward it, the neuter noun gólf with its definite article becomes the dative gólfinu.
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