Breakdown of Viðskiptavinurinn vill kaupa tvennar gallabuxur.
kaupa
to buy
vilja
to want (to will, be willing)
viðskiptavinurinn
the customer
tvennir
two pairs of / two (distributive)
gallabuxurnar
the jeans
Questions & Answers about Viðskiptavinurinn vill kaupa tvennar gallabuxur.
Why do we use tvennar here instead of the normal word for two, tvær?
The word for jeans, gallabuxur, is a noun that only exists in the plural form, much like in English. When counting things that are always plural, Icelandic uses special distributive numbers. Instead of regular numbers, we use this distributive set, so we must use tvennar to mean 'two pairs'.
Why is the specific form tvennar used instead of the dictionary form tvennir?
Distributive numbers must match the noun they describe in gender and case. Gallabuxur is a feminine noun, and here it is the direct object of the verb kaupa (to buy), putting it in the accusative case. The feminine accusative plural form of tvennir is tvennar.
If the customer wanted just one pair of jeans, how would we say that?
You would use the distributive number for one, which is einir. Since we still need the feminine accusative plural to match gallabuxur, you would say einar gallabuxur (one pair of jeans). You cannot use the regular number one (ein).
What is the literal breakdown of the word viðskiptavinurinn?
It is a compound word made of viðskipti (business or trade) and vinur (friend), with the masculine definite article -inn (the) attached to the end. Literally, 'the business friend' is the Icelandic way to say 'the customer'.
As a refresher, why does the verb look like vill instead of something closer to its infinitive vilja?
The verb vilja (to want) is highly irregular. In the singular present tense, it drops its typical endings completely. For third-person singular subjects like viðskiptavinurinn (the customer), the correct form is vill.
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