Breakdown of Sakborningurinn neitar því að ákæran sé rétt.
vera
to be
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
að
that (conjunction)
réttur
correct
sakborningurinn
the defendant
neita
to deny (a claim: neita því að)
ákæran
the charge
Questions & Answers about Sakborningurinn neitar því að ákæran sé rétt.
Why is sé used here instead of the indicative er?
Because the sentence expresses denial. Verbs of denying, like neita, trigger the subjunctive mood in the following að-clause to show that the statement is being rejected or is contrary to fact. Here, sé is the present subjunctive of vera.
Why do we need því after neitar? Couldn't we just say neitar að?
The verb neita requires its object to be in the dative case. When a case-governing verb is followed by an að-clause, Icelandic inserts a dummy pronoun in that required case to bridge the gap. Því is the dative form of það (it), so neitar því að literally means 'denies it that'.
How is the word sakborningurinn (the defendant) formed?
Why is the adjective rétt instead of the dictionary form réttur?
It must agree with the noun it describes, ákæran (the charge). Because ákæra is a feminine noun in the nominative case, the adjective takes the feminine nominative singular form, which is rétt.
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