Questions & Answers about Við kusum hann formann.
Why are both hann and formann in the accusative case here?
This is the classic double accusative structure taught in this lesson. The verb kjósa (to elect) takes two accusative objects: the person being elected (hann) and the title or role they are elected to (formann).
Wait, isn't the word for chairman formaður? Why is it formann here?
Yes, the nominative is formaður. Because it is acting as the second accusative object of kjósa, it takes the accusative form. Any compound word ending in -maður declines exactly like maður, which becomes mann in the accusative singular.
How do we get kusum from the infinitive kjósa?
Kjósa is a strong verb with a vowel shift. Its principal parts are kjósa (infinitive), kaus (past singular), kusum (past plural), and kosið (supine). Since við is plural, we use the past plural stem kus- and add the first-person plural ending -um.
Would it be wrong to say Við kusum hann sem formann (We elected him as chairman)?
Yes, adding sem (as) is generally unnatural here. Verbs of electing and naming like kjósa, nefna, and kalla are designed to connect the two nouns directly side-by-side using the double accusative.
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