Breakdown of Okkur vantar undirskriftina hans á umsóknina.
hann
he
við
we
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
vanta
to need (to lack)
umsóknin
the application
undirskriftin
the signature
Questions & Answers about Okkur vantar undirskriftina hans á umsóknina.
Why does this sentence start with okkur (us) instead of við (we)?
The verb vanta (to need / to lack) is an impersonal verb. It requires the person experiencing the need to be in the accusative case rather than the standard nominative case.
Since okkur is the same word in both accusative and dative, which case is being used here?
It is accusative! The verb vanta is famous for taking a "double accusative." This means both the person who needs (okkur) and the thing that is needed (undirskriftina) must be in the accusative case.
Why is it undirskriftina hans instead of hans undirskrift?
In Icelandic, the most common and natural way to express possession is to use the noun with the definite article attached (undirskriftina meaning "the signature"), followed by the possessive pronoun (hans). It literally translates to "the signature his."
Why does the preposition á take the accusative case (umsóknina) here? Doesn't it usually take the dative for location?
While á takes the dative to show a static location (resting on something), adding a signature onto a document is treated by Icelandic grammar as a figurative movement or direction. Because of this implied motion onto the page, á triggers the accusative case.
Learn Okkur vantar undirskriftina hans á umsóknina and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free