Breakdown of Stjórinn var ekki með ofmetnað heldur bara ástríðu.
vera
to be
ekki
not
bara
just / only
með
with
stjórinn
the boss
heldur
rather, but rather
ástríðan
the passion
ofmetnaðurinn
the hubris
Questions & Answers about Stjórinn var ekki með ofmetnað heldur bara ástríðu.
How does the prefix of- create the meaning of ofmetnað here?
The base noun is metnaður, which means 'ambition' or 'pride' (usually a positive trait). The prefix of- adds the meaning of 'over-' or 'too much'. Together, ofmetnaður literally means 'over-ambition,' which translates perfectly to 'hubris' or 'arrogance'. Notice that it drops the -ur ending here because it is in the accusative case.
Why use heldur for 'but' instead of the usual word en?
Heldur is specifically used for 'but' when you are correcting a negative statement. The structure is always 'not X, but rather Y' (ekki X, heldur Y). Because the sentence establishes that the boss did not have hubris (var ekki með...), you must use heldur to introduce what he did have.
Why are both ofmetnað and ástríðu in the accusative case?
They are both the object of the preposition með (with). The sentence uses the phrase vera með (literally 'to be with') to mean 'to have'. When með means 'holding', 'carrying', or 'having', it forces the following nouns into the accusative case. The preposition applies to both nouns, even though it is only written once before the first noun.
Could I use the verb hafa instead of vera með to say 'did not have'?
It is much more natural to use vera með here. While hafa means 'to have', Icelandic strongly prefers vera með for physical possessions, illnesses, and personal traits or characteristics like ofmetnaður (hubris) and ástríða (passion).
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