Breakdown of Mér voru afhentir spilapeningarnir við borðið.
vera
to be
borðið
the table
ég
I
afhenda
to deliver
við
at / by (next to)
spilapeningurinn
the casino chip
Questions & Answers about Mér voru afhentir spilapeningarnir við borðið.
Why is the verb plural (voru) if the sentence starts with mér ("I")?
This is the core of a ditransitive passive! Even though mér is the logical subject ("I was handed..."), it is in the dative case. In Icelandic, the verb must agree with the nominative noun in the sentence. Here, that is spilapeningarnir (the chips), which is plural. Therefore, the verb becomes voru to match the chips.
Why does the past participle afhentir end in -ir?
In this passive structure, the past participle also has to agree with the nominative object in gender, number, and case. Spilapeningarnir is a masculine, plural, nominative noun. Because of this, the participle afhentur (handed over) takes the masculine plural nominative ending, becoming afhentir.
What is the literal breakdown of the verb afhenda (which gives us afhentir)?
It is a highly literal compound made from af (off/from) and hönd (hand). So að afhenda directly translates to "to hand over" or "to deliver."
Why is borðið in the accusative case after við instead of the dative?
The preposition við triggers the accusative case when it refers to being "at" or "by" a physical location in a general sense, like sitting at a table (við borðið) or standing by a window. It typically only takes the dative when it implies being physically attached to or pressing against something.
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