Breakdown of Hefur sporvagninn farið á pallinn?
fara
to go
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
hafa
to have
pallurinn
the platform
sporvagninn
the tram
Questions & Answers about Hefur sporvagninn farið á pallinn?
Why does this sentence use hefur farið instead of er farinn?
This lesson contrasts hafa with vera for verbs of motion. We use hafa + supine (hefur farið) to focus on the action itself having taken place: 'Did the event of going to the platform happen?' If we used vera and said er farinn, we would be focusing on the current result or state, meaning 'Is it currently gone?' or 'Has it left?'
If sporvagninn is a masculine noun, why is the verb form farið rather than farinn?
Because it is paired with the auxiliary verb hafa (to have). When you use hafa, the main verb is always in the unchangeable supine form (farið), regardless of the subject's gender. You only match the gender (like using the masculine farinn) when using the verb vera (to be) to describe a state.
Why is it á pallinn (accusative) and not á pallinum (dative)?
The preposition á takes the accusative case when it describes motion towards a destination ('onto the platform'). If the tram were already parked and resting there, it would take the dative case to show a fixed location: Sporvagninn er á pallinum (The tram is on the platform).
What are the parts that make up the word sporvagninn?
It is a compound of spor (track or footprint) and vagn (wagon or carriage), plus the masculine definite article -inn. Literally a 'track-wagon'!
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