Question 1

Why are the first two words in the genitive case (Fjögurra daga)?

Accepted Answer

This is a genitive measure phrase. To say 'a four-day workweek', Icelandic uses the genitive to literally say 'a workweek of four days'. Both the number fjögurra (of four) and the unit daga (of days) take the genitive plural form to modify the main noun vinnuvika.

Question 2

Is fjögurra the genitive form for all genders?

Accepted Answer

Yes. While the number four has different forms for masculine, feminine, and neuter in the nominative and accusative cases, the genitive plural form fjögurra is exactly the same for all three genders. Here it is modifying the masculine noun daga.

Question 3

What causes the -s- in the middle of heilsdagsstarfi?

Accepted Answer

Compound nouns in Icelandic often glue their parts together using a genitive ending. Heils dags means 'of a whole day' (genitive singular), so when you attach it to starf (job), the -s acts as the connector to mean a 'whole day's job' or full-time job.

Question 4

Why does heilsdagsstarfi end with an -i?

Accepted Answer

The preposition í takes the dative case here because it describes a static situation (being in a job), rather than movement towards something. The base word starf is a neuter noun, and its dative singular form adds an -i.

Question 5

Why is it góð hugmynd in the nominative rather than the accusative?

Accepted Answer

The verb er (from vera, to be) is a linking verb, which means it equates the subject with its description. Both sides of a linking verb take the nominative case, so we use the feminine nominative góð hugmynd to match the subject vinnuvika.

Fjögurra daga vinnuvika í heilsdagsstarfi er góð hugmynd.

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