Breakdown of Stelpurnar fengu sitthvora bókina eftir úthlutunina.
bókin
the book
stelpan
the girl
fá
to get
eftir
after / for (waiting for)
sitthvor
each their own / one each
úthlutunin
the allocation
Questions & Answers about Stelpurnar fengu sitthvora bókina eftir úthlutunina.
Why is the distributive pronoun written as one word (sitthvora) instead of two (sín hvora)?
In standard formal Icelandic, this pronoun is two words: sinn hvor. The first part agrees with the subject and the second with the object. However, in modern colloquial Icelandic, it is frequently merged into a single word (sitthvor). When combined this way, the entire word simply acts as an adjective that agrees with the object's case, gender, and number (accusative feminine singular).
Why does the sentence use the definite bókina (the book) to mean "one book each"?
This is a strict rule when using sinn hvor or sitthvor. The noun being distributed must take the definite article in Icelandic, even though the most natural English translation uses the indefinite "a" or "one" (literally: they got each their the book).
Since there are multiple girls, why are sitthvora and bókina in the singular?
Because the distributive pronoun focuses on what each individual receives. Since each girl got exactly one book, the object remains singular.
Why is the object sitthvora bókina in the accusative case?
It is the direct object of the verb að fá (to get/receive), which always governs the accusative case. Here, fengu is the third-person plural past tense of that verb.
What is the base form of úthlutunina and how is it formed?
The base noun is úthlutun (allocation), formed from the verb að úthluta (to allocate) plus the noun-forming suffix -un. Note: The preposition eftir usually takes the dative case for time, so strict grammar expects eftir úthlutuninni. However, native speakers sometimes slip into the accusative (úthlutunina) in casual usage, as seen in this sentence!
Learn Stelpurnar fengu sitthvora bókina eftir úthlutunina and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free