Breakdown of Vilt þú lána mér heftarann og strokleðrið?
og
and
ég
I
þú
you
vilja
to want (to will, be willing)
lána
to lend
heftarinn
the stapler
strokleðrið
the eraser
Questions & Answers about Vilt þú lána mér heftarann og strokleðrið?
Why does lána take two objects here, and why is mér in the dative case?
The verb lána (to lend) is a ditransitive verb, meaning it takes both a direct and an indirect object. In Icelandic, the person receiving the item (the indirect object) goes into the dative case, which is why we use mér. The items actually being lent (the direct objects) take the accusative case.
How does the accusative case affect the endings of heftarann and strokleðrið?
Heftarann comes from the masculine noun heftari (stapler). In the accusative, heftari becomes heftara, and adding the definite article makes it heftarann (the stapler). Strokleðrið comes from the neuter noun strokleður (eraser). Neuter nouns do not change their spelling between the nominative and accusative cases, so its definite form stays strokleðrið.
Why isn't there an að before the infinitive verb lána?
The verb vilja (to want), conjugated here as vilt, acts as a modal (helping) verb in Icelandic. When you use an infinitive verb right after a modal verb, you drop the að. It is a direct combination, similar to how we say "must lend" instead of "must to lend" in English.
Could I use lána if I wanted to say "I want to borrow the stapler" instead?
No, lána strictly means "to lend". If you want to talk about borrowing something, you have to use the phrase fá lánað (literally: "to get lent"). Because you are asking someone to lend things to you in this sentence, lána is the correct choice.
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