Breakdown of Óþekki hundurinn er of þreyttur til að fara í göngutúr.
vera
to be
hundurinn
the dog
þreyttur
tired
fara
to go
að
to (infinitive marker)
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
til
to
of
too
óþekkur
naughty
göngutúrinn
the walk (stroll)
Questions & Answers about Óþekki hundurinn er of þreyttur til að fara í göngutúr.
How is the "too... to..." structure formed here, and why is the word þess missing?
This sentence uses the structure of + adjective + til þess að + infinitive. We have of þreyttur til að fara (too tired to go). While formal Icelandic prefers til þess að, in everyday spoken and written Icelandic, the word þess is very commonly dropped, leaving just til að before the infinitive verb.
Why is the adjective óþekki (naughty) in the weak form, but þreyttur (tired) is in the strong form?
Óþekki directly modifies a definite noun (hundurinn - the dog), which forces it to use the weak declension. However, þreyttur comes after the verb er (is) to describe the subject. Because it stands alone and isn't directly attached to a definite article, it takes the strong declension.
Why is göngutúr (walk) in the accusative case after the preposition í?
The preposition í dictates the accusative case when describing motion or an action directed towards a goal. Because the dog is (supposed to be) going for a walk, it implies movement into an activity, triggering the accusative. If you were describing something already happening during the walk, you would use the dative case.
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