Breakdown of Strákinn langar að setja dýrmæta frímerkið í einkasafnið sitt.
strákurinn
the boy
langa
to want
að
to (infinitive marker)
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
setja
to put
sinn
his/her/their own (sinn, sína, sitt)
einkasafnið
the private collection
dýrmætur
precious
frímerkið
the postage stamp
Questions & Answers about Strákinn langar að setja dýrmæta frímerkið í einkasafnið sitt.
Why do we use the reflexive sitt here instead of hans, given that the subject Strákinn is in the accusative case?
Even though the verb langa forces its subject into the accusative case (making it a quirky subject), Icelandic syntax still recognizes Strákinn as the true logical subject of the sentence. Therefore, it triggers the reflexive possessive sitt to mean his own collection. If you used hans, it would mean he is putting the stamp into some other boy's collection.
Why is the boy (Strákinn) in the accusative case at the start of the sentence?
The verb langa (to want, to long for) is an impersonal verb that takes a quirky subject. It always requires the experiencer, the person who wants something, to be in the accusative case rather than the standard nominative.
Why does the adjective dýrmæta end in -a?
It is modifying a definite noun, frímerkið (the stamp). When an adjective describes a noun that has the definite article attached, it uses the weak declension. For a neuter accusative word, the weak adjective ending is -a.
Why does the preposition í trigger the accusative case for einkasafnið sitt instead of the dative?
The preposition í governs the accusative case when it describes motion or direction to a destination, such as moving the stamp into the collection. If the sentence described a static location, like a stamp already sitting inside the collection, it would trigger the dative case instead.
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