Er til umsækjandi sem sé metnaðarfullur og drifinn?
Is there a candidate who is ambitious and driven?
Breakdown of Er til umsækjandi sem sé metnaðarfullur og drifinn?
vera
to be
og
and
til
to
sem
who / which / that
umsækjandinn
the applicant
metnaðarfullur
ambitious
drifinn
driven
Questions & Answers about Er til umsækjandi sem sé metnaðarfullur og drifinn?
Why do we use the subjunctive sé here instead of the indicative er?
This sentence uses the subjunctive in an indefinite relative clause. Because the speaker is asking if such a candidate even exists (Er til umsækjandi...), the candidate is hypothetical. We use the subjunctive sé to show that we are describing an indefinite, unconfirmed person rather than a specific candidate we already know.
What is the exact role of er til here, and how does it differ from það er?
The phrasal verb vera til specifically means to exist. While það er usually means there is in a concrete sense (like pointing out a physical object), er til umsækjandi asks if a candidate with these traits exists at all. This focus on existence is exactly what sets up the hypothetical subjunctive clause that follows.
The word umsækjandi (candidate) has an unusual ending. What type of noun is this?
Nouns ending in -andi are derived from present participles (the equivalent of English words ending in -ing). They come from verbs, in this case sækja um (to apply). When used as nouns, they always belong to a specific group of masculine words that describe a doer or an actor, which is why it translates to applicant or candidate.
Why do the adjectives metnaðarfullur and drifinn take these specific endings?
They must agree with the noun they describe, umsækjandi. Because all doer nouns ending in -andi are masculine, these adjectives take the standard masculine nominative singular endings -ur and -inn.
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