Breakdown of Ég vil ekki að þú þvingir hann.
ég
I
þú
you
hann
he
ekki
not
vilja
to want (to will, be willing)
að
that (conjunction)
þvinga
to force
Questions & Answers about Ég vil ekki að þú þvingir hann.
Why is the verb þvingir in the subjunctive rather than the indicative þvingar?
The main verb vil (from vilja, to want) expresses a desire. When you express a desire for someone else to do something using an að (that) clause, the verb in that clause must be in the subjunctive mood.
How is the present subjunctive formed for an -a group verb like þvinga?
For regular -a group verbs, the present subjunctive takes the endings -i, -ir, -i, -um, -ið, -i. Therefore, the present indicative þú þvingar becomes the present subjunctive þú þvingir.
The sentence says Ég vil ekki að... (I don't want that...). Could we move ekki to the second clause instead?
Yes, but it changes the nuance slightly. Ég vil að þú þvingir hann ekki means I want you not to force him (a desire for a negative action). However, just like in English, it is much more natural and common to simply negate the main verb (vil ekki).
Does þvinga govern the accusative case here?
Yes, the verb þvinga (to force) takes a direct object in the accusative case, which is why we use hann. For the pronoun hann (he), the accusative form is identical to the nominative.
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