Breakdown of Hún æfir sig fyrir bílprófið.
hún
she
fyrir
for (fyrir þig)
æfa
to practice
bílprófið
the driving test
Questions & Answers about Hún æfir sig fyrir bílprófið.
Why is sig used here? Can I just drop it and say Hún æfir fyrir bílprófið?
You need sig because the verb æfa primarily means to train someone or something. When you are practicing a skill yourself, you use the reflexive pronoun sig to show you are applying the action to yourself. Without it, an Icelander might wonder who or what she is training.
The preposition fyrir can take the dative or accusative case. Why is it accusative here?
When fyrir means 'for' in the sense of a purpose, preparation, or cause, it takes the accusative case. You generally only use the dative with fyrir when it means 'in front of' for a physical location, or 'ago' for time.
Is bílprófið in the accusative case here, and how does the ending work?
Yes, it is in the accusative case because of the preposition fyrir. The word combines bíl (car) and the neuter noun próf (test), plus the attached definite article -ið (the). Because neuter words have the exact same form in both nominative and accusative, the word looks like it hasn't changed.
Learn Hún æfir sig fyrir bílprófið 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