Breakdown of Þeir halda áfram að bera heyið í hlöðuna.
þeir
they (m)
að
to (infinitive marker)
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
halda áfram
to continue, keep going
Questions & Answers about Þeir halda áfram að bera heyið í hlöðuna.
How does the phrase halda áfram að bera work in this sentence?
This sentence uses the continuative structure halda áfram að (to continue to) followed by an infinitive verb. The main verb halda is conjugated to match the subject þeir, while bera (to carry) stays in its infinitive form.
Why do we use the accusative form hlöðuna after the preposition í instead of the dative?
The preposition í takes the accusative case when it describes movement towards a destination (carrying the hay into the barn). If the action involved no movement and the hay was already resting inside the barn, í would take the dative case (í hlöðunni).
The dictionary word for barn is hlaða. Why does it change to hlöðuna here?
Hlaða is a weak feminine noun, so in the accusative case, its ending changes from -a to -u (hlöðu). This -u ending triggers a rule called the U-shift, changing the root vowel a to ö. Finally, we attach the definite article -na to make it hlöðuna (the barn).
Why doesn't the word heyið change its ending, even though it is the direct object?