Question 1

Why do we need að between hættir and virka?

Accepted Answer

When you use aspectual verbs like hætta (to stop) or byrja (to begin) with another action, they must be followed by the infinitive marker að and the infinitive form of the second verb. Here, hættir að virka translates directly to "stops to work" (meaning "stops working"). Unlike English, which often uses the "-ing" form for this, Icelandic always uses að + infinitive.

Question 2

Is virka used for any kind of "working"? Can I say that a person virkar?

Accepted Answer

No, virka specifically means "to function" or "to operate", and is used for machines, systems, or methods. If you are talking about a person doing their job, you would use vinna. Since skynjarinn (the sensor) is a device, virka is the correct verb here.

Question 3

What case is skynjarinn, and why does it have that ending?

Accepted Answer

It is in the nominative case. The base word is skynjari (sensor, a masculine noun). Because the verb vera (to be) links two things together without doing an action to them, both sides of the verb stay in the nominative case. The -nn at the end is the attached definite article, making it "the" sensor.

Question 4

Why is the verb hættir in the third-person singular form?

Accepted Answer

The verb is dictated by the relative pronoun sem (that/which). When sem acts as the subject of the clause, the verb matches the word that sem refers back to. Since skynjarinn (the sensor) is singular, hættir is also in the singular form.

Það er skynjarinn sem hættir að virka.

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