Question 1

Why does this sentence use the genitive form miðsvetrar instead of a preposition like í?

Accepted Answer

This is a classic example of the genitive of time. In Icelandic, fixed genitive forms are often used to indicate a recurring time or a general period, without needing a preposition. Here, miðsvetrar translates to 'in midwinter' or 'during the middle of winter.'

Question 2

The subject is bóndinn (the farmer, masculine), so why does the tag question say er það ekki? instead of er hann ekki?

Accepted Answer

In Icelandic, the tag question 'isn't it?' or 'aren't they?' is completely fixed as er það ekki?. You do not change the pronoun það to match the gender or number of the sentence's subject.

Question 3

I usually say ég er upptekinn for 'I am busy'. Why is annasamur used here?

Accepted Answer

While upptekinn means 'occupied' or tied up at a specific moment, annasamur describes someone or something that has a lot of tasks and duties generally. It is very often used to describe periods of time (like annasamur dagur, a busy day), but when applied to a person like bóndinn, it means his lifestyle or job involves a heavy, ongoing workload.

Question 4

What is the root word for miðsvetrar and why does it end in -ar?

Accepted Answer

The root noun is miðsvetur (midwinter). The second half of this compound is the highly irregular masculine noun vetur (winter). The genitive singular of vetur is vetrar, which is why the compound becomes miðsvetrar in the genitive case.

Bóndinn er annasamur miðsvetrar, er það ekki?

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