Breakdown of Við viljum forritara sem sé sjálfstæður og klár.
vera
to be
og
and
við
we
vilja
to want (to will, be willing)
sem
who / which / that
klár
smart
forritarinn
the programmer
sjálfstæður
independent (autonomous, self-reliant)
Questions & Answers about Við viljum forritara sem sé sjálfstæður og klár.
Why is sé used here instead of the indicative er?
This is the classic use of the subjunctive in an indefinite relative clause. Because we are looking for a hypothetical programmer who fits these criteria, rather than describing a specific person we already know exists, we use the subjunctive sé.
Would the sentence mean something different if I used er?
Yes, it changes the meaning completely. Saying Við viljum forritara sem er sjálfstæður implies you have a specific, real programmer in mind and you want that exact person. Using sé shows you are listing requirements for an open position.
Why is forritara in the accusative case while sjálfstæður and klár are in the nominative?
Forritara is in the accusative because it is the direct object of the verb viljum (we want). Inside the relative clause, however, the pronoun sem acts as the subject. Since the verb is vera (to be), which links a subject to a description, the adjectives sjálfstæður and klár must be in the nominative case.
The word forritara ends in an 'a', so why do the adjectives have masculine endings?
The base word is forritari, which is a weak masculine noun. Weak masculine nouns ending in -i change to -a in the accusative, dative, and genitive singular. The adjectives sjálfstæður and klár correctly use masculine nominative endings to match the gender of the noun they describe.
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