Breakdown of Ég myndi láta flísaleggja gólfið strax.
ég
I
strax
right away
gólfið
the floor
láta
to let
myndu
would (plural)
flísaleggja
to tile
Questions & Answers about Ég myndi láta flísaleggja gólfið strax.
Why is the verb flísaleggja in the active form when the English translation is passive ('have the floor tiled')?
In Icelandic causative constructions, using láta with an active infinitive and omitting the person doing the action creates a passive meaning. So láta flísaleggja gólfið literally translates to 'let lay-tiles [on] the floor,' giving it the meaning 'have the floor tiled.'
Is gólfið the accusative object of láta or flísaleggja?
It is the direct object of flísaleggja, which governs the accusative case. If you wanted to include the person doing the work, they would be the accusative object of láta. For example: Ég myndi láta hann flísaleggja gólfið (I would have him tile the floor).
What exactly is the word myndi here?
It is the past subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb munu. While munu usually expresses the future tense, its past subjunctive form myndi is used to create conditional sentences, translating perfectly to 'would' in English.
How is the compound verb flísaleggja formed?
It is a combination of the noun flís (tile) and the verb leggja (to lay). Icelandic frequently creates highly specific verbs this way, so the action is literally to 'tile-lay.'
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