Breakdown of Kandidatarnir voru alveg óvitandi inntökuprófsins.
vera
to be
alveg
completely, totally
kandidatinn
the candidate (academic, job)
inntökuprófið
the entrance exam
óvitandi
unaware
Questions & Answers about Kandidatarnir voru alveg óvitandi inntökuprófsins.
Why is the word for the exam in the genitive case here?
It is triggered by the adjective óvitandi (unaware). Just like in English where we say unaware of something, in Icelandic, certain adjectives directly govern the genitive case to show what the adjective applies to. Therefore, inntökuprófið becomes inntökuprófsins.
Since kandidatarnir is plural, shouldn't óvitandi have a plural ending?
No, because óvitandi is a present participle functioning as an adjective, which you can spot by the -andi ending. These types of adjectives are indeclinable, meaning they never change form to match the gender, number, or case of the noun they describe.
How does the compound word inntökuprófsins break down?
It is made up of inntaka (admission or entrance) and próf (exam). In Icelandic compound words, the first noun often takes the genitive case to link them together, which is why it becomes inntöku. Then, the definite article -ins is added to the genitive form of próf (which is prófs), creating inntökuprófsins.
When do we use kandidat versus other words for candidate?
Kandidat is usually used for academic candidates or applicants for very specific professional roles. For political candidates, you would use frambjóðandi, and for standard job applicants, umsækjandi is the most common term.
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