Breakdown of Þeim var sýndur gosinn en þeir vildu ásinn.
vera
to be
en
but
þeir
they (m)
vilja
to want (to will, be willing)
sýna
to show
ásinn
the ace
gosinn
the jack
Questions & Answers about Þeim var sýndur gosinn en þeir vildu ásinn.
Why do we use the singular verb var when the subject is the plural þeim?
In this ditransitive passive structure, þeim (to them) is a dative subject. In Icelandic, the verb never agrees with a dative subject. Instead, it agrees with the nominative object of the sentence—which is gosinn (the jack). Since gosinn is singular, the verb must be the singular var.
Why is the past participle sýndur used instead of the default neuter sýnt?
This is the "dual agreement" part of the lesson. In a ditransitive passive, both the main verb (var) and the past participle (sýndur) agree with the nominative object. Because gosinn is a masculine, singular, nominative noun, the participle takes the matching masculine, singular, nominative form sýndur.
Why does the pronoun for "they" switch from þeim in the first half to þeir in the second?
The case of a subject depends entirely on the verb in its specific clause. The passive construction in the first clause requires the recipient to be in the dative case (þeim). However, the second clause is active, and the verb vilja (to want) takes a standard nominative subject. Therefore, the pronoun switches to the nominative þeir.
Are both gosinn (the jack) and ásinn (the ace) in the nominative case here?
No. Gosinn is nominative because it is the object of the ditransitive passive verb. However, ásinn is the direct object of the active verb vilja (to want), which requires the accusative case. They look similar, but that's a coincidence of their noun categories: the weak noun gosi becomes gosinn in the nominative with the definite article, while the strong noun ás takes the form ásinn in both its nominative and accusative forms.
Learn Þeim var sýndur gosinn en þeir vildu ásinn 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