Breakdown of Kafarinn synti heila klukkustund.
synda
to swim
heill
whole, entire
klukkustundin
the hour
kafarinn
the diver
Questions & Answers about Kafarinn synti heila klukkustund.
Why isn't there a preposition like "í" (for) before heila klukkustund?
In Icelandic, you often don't need a preposition to express how long an action lasts. Instead, the duration is put directly into the accusative case. This is called the Accusative of Extent. Because klukkustund is feminine, both the adjective heila and the noun itself are in the accusative here.
Could I say heilan tíma instead of heila klukkustund?
Yes, absolutely. Both klukkustund and tími translate to "hour" and can be used for duration. Klukkustund is slightly more formal and precise, strictly meaning a 60-minute period, whereas tími can also mean "time" in a general sense or a school class. Notice that if you use the masculine noun tími, the adjective must change to the masculine accusative heilan.
Why is the word for "whole" written as heila here?
It is modifying klukkustund, which is a feminine noun. Because the phrase represents duration, it must be in the accusative case. The feminine accusative singular form of the adjective heill (whole) is heila.
How can I tell if synti is past or present tense?
Synti is the past tense form ("swam") for both the first and third person singular. The present tense third-person form would be syndir ("swims"). Because synda is a weak verb, its past tense is formed by adding a suffix to the stem rather than changing the root vowel.
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