Breakdown of Stjórnvaldið verður að synja umsækjandanum vegabréfsáritunarinnar.
verða að
to have to
umsækjandinn
the applicant
synja
to deny, to turn down (a request; formal)
stjórnvaldið
the authority
vegabréfsáritunin
the visa
Questions & Answers about Stjórnvaldið verður að synja umsækjandanum vegabréfsáritunarinnar.
Why does synja take both the dative and the genitive cases here?
The verb synja (to deny) is ditransitive, meaning it takes two objects. In Icelandic, verbs of denying, refusing, or depriving often take the person being denied in the dative case (umsækjandanum) and the thing being denied in the genitive case (vegabréfsáritunarinnar).
How do you break down the long word vegabréfsáritunarinnar?
It is a compound word: vegabréf (passport) plus -s- (a connecting letter) plus áritun (endorsement/visa). Because synja requires the genitive case, áritun becomes áritunar. Finally, we add the definite suffix for a feminine genitive noun, -innar, resulting in vegabréfsáritunarinnar.
Why does the dative word umsækjandanum end in -anum rather than the typical -inum?
The base word is umsækjandi (applicant), which is a weak masculine noun ending in -andi. In the dative case, its indefinite form is umsækjanda. When you attach the masculine dative definite article, you only add -num because the word already ends in a vowel, giving you umsækjandanum.
Does verður að have a different nuance here compared to þarf að?
Yes. While both translate to 'must' or 'have to,' verður að implies a strict, absolute obligation or a rule that cannot be broken. Þarf að simply implies a strong need or requirement. Since an official authority is following legal regulations to deny the visa, verður að is the most natural fit.
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