Word
Málarinn er búinn með spartlið.
Meaning
The painter has run out of the spackle.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Málarinn er búinn með spartlið.
málarinn
the painter
vera búinn með
to be finished with / to have run out of
spartlið
the spackle (n)
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Questions & Answers about Málarinn er búinn með spartlið.
Why does búinn með mean "run out of" instead of just "finished with"?
When vera búinn með is used with a consumable physical substance (like spackle, milk, or paint), it means that the subject has used it all up or run out of it. If used with a task, a book, or an activity, it translates to being finished doing it.
Doesn't the preposition með usually trigger the dative case? Why is spartlið accusative here?
Normally, með takes the dative when describing what you are holding, using, or accompanied by. However, the specific idiom vera búinn með (to be out of / finished with) is an exception where með always requires the accusative case for the depleted item or completed task.
Does the word búinn change if the subject of the sentence changes?
Yes, it acts as an adjective and must agree with the subject's gender and number. Here, búinn is the masculine singular form matching the grammatical gender of Málarinn (the painter). If the subject were Hún (she), it would be Hún er búin, and for a masculine plural subject like Þeir (they), it would be Þeir eru búnir.
How can we tell that spartlið is in the accusative case just by looking at it?