Breakdown of Feluleikurinn byrjar eftir að þú lokar augunum.
þú
you
byrja
to start
eftir að
after (conjunction)
augað
the eye
loka
to close (+ Dative) / to close (shop/counter shuts)
feluleikurinn
the hide-and-seek
Questions & Answers about Feluleikurinn byrjar eftir að þú lokar augunum.
Why is augunum in the dative case here?
The verb að loka (to close) requires its object to be in the dative case. Instead of the accusative form, we must use the dative plural definite form, augunum.
The English translation says "your eyes", but there is no word for "your" in the Icelandic sentence. Why?
In Icelandic, when you perform an action on your own body parts, you usually just use the definite article instead of a possessive pronoun like þínum. So lokar augunum literally means "close the eyes", but it's naturally understood as "close your eyes" because þú (you) is the one doing it.
Why do we use eftir að instead of just eftir?
Eftir by itself is a preposition used before nouns (like eftir vinnu, meaning "after work"). When you introduce a full clause with a new subject and verb (like þú lokar), you must use the conjunction eftir að. This uses the same structural logic as your current lesson on þar sem: Icelandic often pairs a preposition or adverb with að or sem to link a full clause!
How is the word feluleikurinn built?
It is a compound noun made from the verb að fela (to hide) and the noun leikur (a game). With the definite article -inn attached at the end, it literally translates to "the hiding-game".
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