Breakdown of Við biðjum jólasveininn bæði náðar og verndar.
og
and
við
we
bæði
both (bæði ... og)
biðja
to ask for (biðja um)
jólasveinninn
the Santa Claus
náðin
the mercy
verndin
the protection
Questions & Answers about Við biðjum jólasveininn bæði náðar og verndar.
Why is jólasveininn in the accusative case, but náðar and verndar are in the genitive?
This showcases the specific case pattern (valency) for the verb biðja when making a request. You ask a person (in the accusative case) for a thing (in the genitive case). Here, jólasveininn (Santa Claus) is the accusative person being asked, while the things requested, náðar (mercy) and verndar (protection), are in the genitive.
Could I use the verb spyrja here since it also means "ask"?
No, that would sound incorrect. While both translate to "ask" in English, spyrja is only used when asking a question to get information. You must use biðja when making a request, begging, or asking for a favor.
What are the dictionary (nominative) forms of náðar and verndar?
The nominative forms are náð (mercy or grace) and vernd (protection). They are both strong feminine nouns. In this sentence, they take the -ar ending because they are in the genitive singular, as required by the verb biðja.
Does the phrase bæði ... og ... affect the case of the nouns that follow it?
No, bæði ... og ... (both ... and ...) is a correlative conjunction that simply links the two things being asked for. It does not govern a case itself. The genitive case for both náðar and verndar comes strictly from the verb biðja.
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