Breakdown of Við erum búin með verkefnið og sleppum aukaatriðinu.
vera
to be
og
and
við
we
með
with
verkefnið
the assignment
búinn
finished
sleppa
to let go, to escape / to avoid / get out of
aukaatriðið
the minor detail
Questions & Answers about Við erum búin með verkefnið og sleppum aukaatriðinu.
Why is aukaatriðinu in the dative case here?
The verb sleppa governs the dative case when it means "to skip", "to omit", or "to let go of" something. Because we are skipping the minor detail, the neuter noun aukaatriði takes its dative definite form, aukaatriðinu.
Doesn't the preposition með usually take the dative case? Why is verkefnið in the accusative?
While með often takes the dative when meaning "carrying" or "together with", it takes the accusative in certain fixed expressions. The phrase vera búinn með (to be finished or done with) always requires the accusative. That is why we see the accusative definite form verkefnið rather than the dative verkefninu.
Why is búin in the neuter plural form?
When við (we) refers to a mixed-gender group of people, which is the default assumption in Icelandic, the adjectives and participles describing the group must be in the neuter plural. If it were a group of exclusively men speaking, they would say við erum búnir, and a group of only women would say við erum búnar.
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