Breakdown of Þeir sem bíða eftir innflutningnum finna fyrir skortinum.
þeir
they (m)
bíða
to wait
fyrir
for (on someone's behalf; as in "thanks for")
eftir
after / for (waiting for)
sem
who / which / that
skorturinn
the shortage
finna fyrir
to feel, notice (+ dative)
innflutningurinn
the import
Questions & Answers about Þeir sem bíða eftir innflutningnum finna fyrir skortinum.
Why does the phrase 'bíða eftir' take the dative case here?
When the preposition eftir is combined with the verb bíða to mean 'waiting for' something, it governs the dative case. That is why we see innflutningnum, which is the dative definite form of the masculine noun innflutningur (import).
Does 'finna fyrir' take a different case than the verb 'finna' on its own?
Yes. While finna (to find or feel) usually takes the accusative on its own, the phrasal verb finna fyrir (to experience or physically feel something) strictly governs the dative case. This gives us skortinum, the dative definite form of skortur (shortage).
Why does the sentence use the masculine pronoun 'þeir' in 'þeir sem' to mean 'those who'?
In Icelandic, the masculine plural þeir is the default grammatical gender used when referring to a general group of people of unknown or mixed genders. Together with the relative particle sem, þeir sem simply translates to 'those who' or 'the people who'.
How could we use the lesson's target connective 'af þeim sökum' (for those reasons) with this sentence?
You could use it to introduce a logical consequence in a follow-up clause. For example, you might add '...og af þeim sökum kvarta þeir' (...and for those reasons they complain). It acts as a formal adverbial link between the shortage the people feel and their resulting action.
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