Breakdown of Þau eru komin með sýkingu af því að húðflúrarinn sótthreinsaði ekki nálina.
vera
to be
ekki
not
þau
they (n)
koma
to come
með
with
af því að
because
nálin
the needle
húðflúrarinn
the tattoo artist
sýkingin
the infection
sótthreinsa
to disinfect
Questions & Answers about Þau eru komin með sýkingu af því að húðflúrarinn sótthreinsaði ekki nálina.
Why is the participle komin used here instead of komið or komnir?
In the construction vera kominn með, the past participle kominn must agree in gender and number with the subject. Because the subject here is the neuter plural pronoun þau, the participle takes the neuter plural form komin.
Could I just say Þau hafa fengið sýkingu to mean the same thing?
Yes, but there is a slight difference in focus. Using hafa fengið (have gotten) emphasizes the event that happened in the past. The structure vera kominn með focuses on the aspectual state: it highlights the current, ongoing result of that past action, emphasizing that they have the infection right now.
Why is sýkingu in the accusative case?
In the phrase vera kominn með (when used to mean having acquired or gotten something), the preposition með governs the accusative case for the thing that was acquired. sýkingu is the accusative singular form of the feminine noun sýking (infection).
How is the word húðflúrarinn constructed?
It breaks down into húð (skin) + flúr (ornament or flourish) + -ari (an agent suffix for a person doing an action, much like '-er' in English) + -nn (the attached definite article). Literally, it translates to 'the skin-ornamenter'.
What determines the case of nálina at the end of the sentence?
It is the direct object of the verb sótthreinsaði (disinfected), which requires the accusative case. The feminine noun nál (needle) takes the accusative definite article -ina to become nálina (the needle).
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