Saklausi maðurinn sagði engum frá fjarvistarsönnuninni.
The innocent man told no one about the alibi.
Breakdown of Saklausi maðurinn sagði engum frá fjarvistarsönnuninni.
maðurinn
the man
enginn
no one / nobody / no (m/f)
segja frá
to tell about (+ Dative)
saklaus
innocent
fjarvistarsönnunin
the alibi
Questions & Answers about Saklausi maðurinn sagði engum frá fjarvistarsönnuninni.
Why is the adjective saklausi rather than just saklaus?
Because it modifies a definite noun (maðurinn). When an adjective is paired with a noun that has the definite article attached, the adjective takes the weak declension. For a masculine, singular, nominative noun, that ending is -i.
Why are both engum and fjarvistarsönnuninni in the dative case here?
They are in the dative case for two different reasons. Engum (no one) is the indirect object of the verb segja (to tell someone), which takes the dative. Fjarvistarsönnuninni takes the dative because it directly follows the preposition frá (from/about), which always requires the dative case.
How does the long compound word fjarvistarsönnuninni break down?
How would we apply this lesson's grammar to say "The innocent man must have told no one about the alibi"?
You would use the past tense of hljóta (must) alongside að hafa and the supine form of the main verb (sagt). The sentence would become: Saklausi maðurinn hlaut að hafa sagt engum frá fjarvistarsönnuninni.
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