Breakdown of Veðurblaðran fauk eitthvert þannig að við misstum merkið.
við
we
merkið
the sign (mark, symbol) / the signal
missa
to lose, to drop
þannig að
so / with the result that
veðurblaðran
the weather balloon
fjúka
to be blown
eitthvert
to somewhere
Questions & Answers about Veðurblaðran fauk eitthvert þannig að við misstum merkið.
Why do we use eitthvert in this sentence instead of the more common einhvers staðar?
Eitthvert is a directional adverb meaning "to somewhere." Because the balloon is actively moving to an unknown destination, you need this "motion towards" form. If the balloon were just floating stationary in an unknown location, you would use the static form einhvers staðar (at/in somewhere).
Why is fauk used for "blew" here instead of a form of blása?
Fauk is the past tense of the strong verb fjúka, which specifically means "to be blown away" by the wind (used for things like balloons, hats, or leaves). The verb blása is active and is used for the source creating the wind, like a storm blowing or a person blowing on hot coffee.
What is the function of þannig að here, and could I just use svo?
Þannig að literally translates to "thus that" or "in such a way that," and it acts as a conjunction introducing a direct consequence (so that). You could absolutely use svo or svo að here instead, but þannig að is incredibly common in spoken and written Icelandic for expressing a result.
Why is merkið in the accusative case in this sentence?
The verb missa (to lose) governs the accusative case for the object being lost. Because merki (signal) is a neuter noun, its accusative definite form (merkið) looks identical to its nominative form, but its grammatical role here is strictly accusative.
Learn Veðurblaðran fauk eitthvert þannig að við misstum merkið 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