Question 1

Why is the subjunctive sé used here instead of the indicative er?

Accepted Answer

This sentence uses an indefinite relative clause. The CEO is looking for an assistant (any assistant who fits the description), rather than talking about a specific person they already know. Because the identity of this assistant is hypothetical or uncertain, the relative clause requires the subjunctive sé.

Question 2

Aðstoðarmann is in the accusative case, so why is the adjective áreiðanlegur in the nominative?

Accepted Answer

While aðstoðarmann is the direct object of vill (and therefore accusative), the relative clause has its own grammatical structure. Inside the clause, sem is the subject of the verb vera (sé). Because vera always takes the nominative case, the adjective áreiðanlegur must be nominative to agree with the masculine subject it describes.

Question 3

If the CEO wanted a specific assistant they already knew, would we still use the subjunctive?

Accepted Answer

No. If the CEO had a specific, existing person in mind (for example, the assistant who is reliable), the relative clause would describe a known fact rather than a hypothetical requirement. You would then use the indicative er: Vill forstjórinn aðstoðarmanninn sem er áreiðanlegur?

Question 4

I see that forstjórinn is the subject. Why does it have an -inn ending if it is a masculine noun?

Accepted Answer

The base word is forstjóri (CEO), which is a weak masculine noun. The -nn is just the definite article attached to the end. In the nominative case, weak masculine nouns end in -i, so adding the article makes it forstjórinn.

Vill forstjórinn aðstoðarmann sem sé áreiðanlegur?

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