Breakdown of Ég deildi gleðinni með sérhverjum gjafa.
ég
I
með
with
deila
to share
gleðin
the joy
sérhver
every single
gjafinn
the donor
Questions & Answers about Ég deildi gleðinni með sérhverjum gjafa.
Why is sérhverjum in the dative case here?
It is the dative masculine singular form of sérhver. It takes the dative because the preposition með requires the dative case when it means "with" (along with someone), and it takes the masculine singular form to agree with the noun it modifies, gjafa (donor).
Why is the noun gleðinni also in the dative case?
The verb deila (to share) governs the dative case for the thing that is being shared. Therefore, the feminine noun gleði (joy) is conjugated to its dative definite form, gleðinni (the joy).
Gjafa looks like a genitive plural word. Is it plural here?
No, it is singular in this sentence. Gjafi is a weak masculine noun. Weak masculine nouns that end in "-i" in the nominative singular change their ending to "-a" in all other singular cases (accusative, dative, and genitive). Because it follows með, it is in the dative singular.
What is the difference between using hverjum and sérhverjum in this sentence?
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