Breakdown of Afinn unni brúðhjónunum allrar farsældar.
afinn
the grandfather
allur
all / everything / everyone
brúðhjónin
the bridal couple
farsældin
the prosperity
unna
to grant
Questions & Answers about Afinn unni brúðhjónunum allrar farsældar.
Why is brúðhjónunum in the dative case and allrar farsældar in the genitive case?
This showcases the exact valency pattern you are learning in this lesson! The verb unna requires its indirect object (the receiver, the bridal couple) to take the dative case, and its direct object (the thing being granted, all prosperity) to take the genitive case.
I previously learned that unna means to love. How do I know it means granted or wished in this sentence?
The grammatical cases reveal the meaning. When unna only takes a dative object, it means to love someone. However, when it is used ditransitively with a dative receiver and a genitive object, like it is here with allrar farsældar, the meaning shifts to granting, allowing, or wishing someone something.
Brúðhjónunum has a plural dative ending. Does Icelandic treat a couple as a grammatically plural noun?
Yes, the root word hjón (a married couple) is a neuter plural noun. Because of this, compound words like brúðhjón (bridal couple) are always treated as grammatically plural. The -unum suffix attached to it is the dative plural definite article.
Can we determine the gender of farsæld just by looking at allrar farsældar?
Yes, the modifier allrar gives it away. Because the verb forces the genitive case, the pronoun allur (all) must change to match. The -rar ending on allrar is exclusively used for feminine words in the genitive singular, confirming that farsæld is a feminine noun.
Learn Afinn unni brúðhjónunum allrar farsældar 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