Breakdown of Dómstóllinn efast um að verjandinn hafi viðurkennt mistökin.
um
about
að
that (conjunction)
hafa
to have
mistökin
the mistakes
efast
to doubt
viðurkenna
to admit
dómstóllinn
the court
verjandinn
the defense attorney
Questions & Answers about Dómstóllinn efast um að verjandinn hafi viðurkennt mistökin.
Why do we use hafi (subjunctive) instead of hefur (indicative) here?
This is the core of our current lesson! The phrase efast um að expresses doubt, which triggers the subjunctive mood in the following clause. Therefore, the auxiliary verb hafa becomes hafi.
Is the preposition um always required after efast?
Yes, when you are specifying what is being doubted, the set phrase is að efast um eitthvað (to doubt something). Even though it is followed by an að-clause here rather than a simple noun, the preposition um must stay.
Why does the verb efast end in -st?
It is a middle voice verb. While the -st ending often makes a verb passive or reciprocal, some verbs only exist in this form or use it for their primary active meaning. Að efast (to doubt) is one of these.
What is important to remember about the grammar of mistökin?
How is the noun verjandinn (the defense attorney) formed?
It is built from the verb að verja (to defend). Adding the suffix -andi creates a masculine noun for the person performing the action. The -nn at the end is the attached definite article.
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