Breakdown of Við elskum óplanað frí af því að við getum tjaldað hvar sem er.
við
we
elska
to love
fríið
the holiday
af því að
because
geta
to be able to
tjalda
to camp
hvar sem er
anywhere / wherever
óplanaður
unplanned
Questions & Answers about Við elskum óplanað frí af því að við getum tjaldað hvar sem er.
Why do we use hvar sem er here instead of hvert sem er?
The phrase hvar sem er translates to 'anywhere' in a stationary sense, referring to a fixed location. Since you are setting up camp at a place, you use hvar. If the sentence involved motion towards a destination, like driving anywhere, you would use the directional hvert sem er.
Why is the verb tjaldað not in the infinitive form tjalda after the modal verb getum?
The modal verb geta (to be able to) is unique in Icelandic because it requires the following verb to be in the supine form, or sagnbót, rather than the infinitive. The supine looks identical to the neuter singular past participle. While other modals like vilja take the infinitive, geta always forces the supine, hence tjaldað.
What dictates the ending on the adjective óplanað?
It modifies the neuter noun frí (vacation), which is the direct object of elskum and is therefore in the accusative case. Since it is an unplanned vacation (indefinite), the adjective takes the strong declension. The strong accusative neuter form of óplanaður is óplanað.
Could I just use því instead of af því að to say because?
Yes, you can. Af því að is the most standard way to say because in spoken Icelandic, but it is very often shortened to því or því að. Both options mean exactly the same thing and are grammatically correct in this sentence.
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