Breakdown of Ræktandinn telur hreyfinguna of líflega.
of
too
telja
to believe, to consider
ræktandinn
the breeder
hreyfingin
the movement
líflegur
lively
Questions & Answers about Ræktandinn telur hreyfinguna of líflega.
Why is the adjective líflega in the accusative case here instead of the nominative?
In this sentence, líflega is an objective predicative. This means it describes the direct object (hreyfinguna) rather than the subject (ræktandinn). In Icelandic, these adjectives must agree with the object in case, gender, and number. Since hreyfinguna is accusative, feminine, and singular, the adjective takes the matching form líflega.
Does the verb telja always trigger this objective predicative structure?
Yes, when used with this meaning. While telja can mean 'to count', here it means 'to consider' or 'to believe'. When used this way, it is one of the most common verbs that take an accusative object followed by an adjective that agrees with it. Other similar verbs include kalla (to call) and gera (to make).
Hreyfinguna is definite, so why doesn't the adjective use the weak declension?
Adjectives used as predicatives (coming after the verb to describe a noun's state) always use the strong declension in Icelandic. The weak declension is almost exclusively used when the adjective comes directly before a definite noun, as in an attributive phrase like líflega hreyfingin (the lively movement).
Líflega ends in -lega, which is a common suffix for adverbs. How can I tell it is an adjective here?
While -lega is indeed a very common adverb ending, líflega also happens to be the exact accusative feminine singular form of the adjective líflegur. You know it is an adjective in this context because it describes the state of the noun object (hreyfinguna) rather than modifying how the breeder is performing the action of the verb.
Learn Ræktandinn telur hreyfinguna of líflega 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