Breakdown of Starfsmaðurinn skal lesa handbókina og fylgja fyrirmælunum.
og
and
lesa
to read
fylgja
to follow
starfsmaðurinn
the employee
skulu
to shall / to promise to
handbókin
the manual
fyrirmælin
the instructions
Questions & Answers about Starfsmaðurinn skal lesa handbókina og fylgja fyrirmælunum.
Why use skal here instead of the imperative forms like lestu (read) and fylgdu (follow)?
In formal writing, like contracts, employee handbooks, or legal documents, Icelandic uses skulu (here in the 3rd person singular skal) plus the bare infinitive to issue commands or state obligations. It translates well to the formal English 'shall'. Using the imperative would sound too personal or conversational.
Does the modal verb skal apply to both verbs in this sentence?
Yes. Just like in English, you do not need to repeat skal. It governs both lesa (read) and fylgja (follow), which is why both of these action verbs remain in the bare infinitive form.
Why is handbókina in the accusative case but fyrirmælunum in the dative case?
The case is determined by the specific verb that precedes each noun. The verb lesa takes a direct object in the accusative case, giving us handbókina. However, the verb fylgja (to follow) governs the dative case, which forces its object into the dative form, fyrirmælunum.
What is the root noun for fyrirmælunum, and how is that ending built?
The root noun is fyrirmæli, which is a neuter noun mostly used in the plural (meaning 'instructions' or 'orders'). To say 'the instructions' in the dative case, you take the base dative plural fyrirmælum and attach the dative plural definite article -num, resulting in fyrirmælunum.
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