Breakdown of Ef við aukum álagið, minnkar jafnvægið.
við
we
ef
if
minnka
to reduce / to decrease (intransitive) / to reduce (something)
auka
to increase
álagið
the pressure (stress, burden)
jafnvægið
the balance
Questions & Answers about Ef við aukum álagið, minnkar jafnvægið.
Does the prefix jafn- in jafnvægið work the same way as the adjectives in this lesson?
It is built from the exact same prefix, but applied to a noun. While this lesson focuses on jafn- attached to adjectives to mean "equally" (like jafngamall), it also attaches to nouns to denote equality. Jafnvægi combines jafn- (equal/even) and vægi (weight). It literally means "equal weight," which perfectly describes a "balance."
Why is the word order minnkar jafnvægið and not jafnvægið minnkar?
This is the classic V2 (verb-second) rule in action. The entire "if" clause (Ef við aukum álagið) occupies the first position of the overall sentence structure. Because the main verb must take the second position, minnkar comes immediately after the comma, pushing its subject (jafnvægið) to the other side of the verb.
Why use álagið for "the pressure" instead of a word like þrýstingurinn?
Þrýstingur generally refers to direct physical or atmospheric pressure (like air or water pressure). Álag translates more literally to "load," "burden," or "strain." It is the most natural choice in Icelandic when referring to a systemic load, mental stress, or figurative pressure.
Aukum takes the accusative object álagið. What case would minnka take if we were the ones decreasing something?
In this specific sentence, minnka is used intransitively (the balance itself decreases, so it takes no object). However, when you use minnka transitively to say you are decreasing something (e.g., "we decrease the pressure"), it takes the accusative case, just like auka.
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