Breakdown of Er tölvan tollskyld? Ég framvísa henni alltaf.
vera
to be
ég
I
hún
she
alltaf
always
tölvan
the computer
tollskyldur
subject to customs duty
framvísa
to present
Questions & Answers about Er tölvan tollskyld? Ég framvísa henni alltaf.
Why does henni come before alltaf here? Shouldn't it be 'Ég framvísa alltaf henni'?
This is an example of object shift (fornafnaskotsfærsla). In Icelandic, when the object of a main clause is an unstressed pronoun like henni, it shifts to appear before sentence adverbs like alltaf or ekki. If the object were a regular noun, it would normally stay after the adverb, as in: Ég framvísa alltaf tölvunni.
Why is the pronoun henni in the dative case instead of the accusative hana?
The verb framvísa (to present or declare something, typically official documents or items at customs) takes its object in the dative case. Since you are presenting the computer, the pronoun replacing it must be in the dative.
Why use the feminine pronoun henni to mean 'it'?
Pronouns must match the grammatical gender of the noun they replace. Here, the pronoun refers back to tölvan (the computer), which is a feminine noun. Therefore, the feminine dative pronoun henni is used instead of the neuter því.
How is the adjective tollskyld formed?
It is a compound word made from tollur (customs, duty, or toll) and the adjective skyldur (obliged or required). It essentially means 'customs-obliged.' Here it is in the feminine singular nominative form tollskyld so that it agrees with tölvan.
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