Breakdown of Þrátt fyrir að mótlætið var endalaust gáfust þau ekki upp.
vera
to be
ekki
not
þau
they (n)
gefast upp
to give up
endalaus
endless
þrátt fyrir að
despite the fact that
mótlætið
the adversity
Questions & Answers about Þrátt fyrir að mótlætið var endalaust gáfust þau ekki upp.
Why is var in the indicative mood here instead of the subjunctive?
Unlike þó að (even though), which usually forces the subjunctive mood, þrátt fyrir að often takes the indicative mood when stating an established, real fact. Since the endless adversity actually happened, the indicative var is perfectly natural here.
Why does the main verb gáfust come right after the subordinate clause?
Why is the middle voice form gáfust used here instead of the active voice?
The verb for quitting or surrendering is gefast upp, which requires the -st ending (middle voice). If you used the active voice gáfu upp, it would mean giving up a specific item or piece of information, rather than yielding to adversity.
How does the noun mótlætið dictate the form of the adjective endalaust?
The noun mótlæti (adversity) is neuter. Because it is the subject of the subordinate clause, the adjective describing it must also be in the neuter singular nominative form, which is why we add the -t ending to get endalaust.
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