Breakdown of Eigingirnin og fáfræðin munu eyðileggja samstarfið.
og
and
samstarfið
the cooperation
munu
will
eyðileggja
to destroy
eigingirnin
the selfishness
fáfræðin
the ignorance
Questions & Answers about Eigingirnin og fáfræðin munu eyðileggja samstarfið.
Why do abstract nouns like eigingirni and fáfræði have the definite article here?
In Icelandic, abstract nouns like eigingirni (selfishness) and fáfræði (ignorance) usually take the definite article when you are talking about the concepts in a general or absolute sense. English leaves them bare, but in Icelandic, it sounds more natural to attach the article, making them eigingirnin and fáfræðin.
What gender are eigingirni and fáfræði, and how do they decline?
They are both feminine nouns. Many abstract nouns ending in -i are feminine and actually do not change their form at all in the singular across all four cases. Here they are in the nominative case as the subject, and the attached article is the feminine nominative singular -n (from -in).
Why is the auxiliary verb munu used here instead of just using the present tense to show the future?
While Icelandic frequently uses the present tense for future actions, the auxiliary verb munu is used here to make a strong prediction or state an inevitable fact. Using munu eyðileggja (will destroy) emphasizes that this outcome is practically guaranteed.
How does the verb eyðileggja affect the case of samstarfið?
The verb eyðileggja (to ruin or destroy) governs the accusative case. Therefore, the neuter noun samstarf (cooperation) with its definite article takes the accusative form samstarfið. It happens to look identical to its nominative form, which is standard for all neuter nouns.
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