Breakdown of Ertu í stéttarfélagi?
vera
to be
þú
you
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
stéttarfélagið
the trade union
Questions & Answers about Ertu í stéttarfélagi?
Why does stéttarfélag end in -i in this sentence?
It is in the dative case. The preposition í can take either the accusative or the dative case. Here, it takes the dative because it describes a static state or location (being in a union) rather than movement into one. Since stéttarfélag is a neuter noun, its dative form takes the -i ending.
How is the compound word stéttarfélag formed?
It is made by combining stétt (meaning social class, profession, or trade) and félag (association, society, or union). The -ar in the middle is the genitive (possessive) ending for stétt, so the word literally translates to association of a trade.
Would it be correct to say Ertu í stéttarfélaginu?
Yes, but it changes the meaning. Adding the definite suffix -nu makes it mean Are you in the union? You would use this if you and the listener were already talking about one specific union. Without the suffix, the sentence asks generally if you belong to any union.
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