Breakdown of Bæjarstjórinn neitar því að hann hafi þegið mútuna.
hann
he
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
að
that (conjunction)
hafa
to have
bæjarstjórinn
the mayor
neita
to deny (a claim: neita því að)
þiggja
to accept (an offer, a gift)
mútan
the bribe
Questions & Answers about Bæjarstjórinn neitar því að hann hafi þegið mútuna.
Why is the subjunctive hafi used here instead of the indicative hefur?
The sentence is reporting a past event indirectly. When reporting what someone claims, thinks, or denies in an að clause, Icelandic uses the subjunctive to show it is a reported statement rather than an established fact. Because this is about a past event, it uses the present perfect subjunctive: the auxiliary verb hafa in the present subjunctive (hafi) plus the supine form þegið.
Why is því included before the að clause in neitar því að?
The verb neita (to deny) governs the dative case. When a verb that dictates a specific case is followed by an að clause, Icelandic inserts the dummy pronoun það in the matching case. Since neita takes the dative, það becomes því. It translates literally as denying 'it' that he accepted the bribe.
What verb does the supine þegið come from?
It comes from the strong verb þiggja, which means 'to accept' or 'to receive'. It is somewhat irregular, which is why the stem vowel changes so drastically: þiggja in the infinitive becomes þáði in the past tense and þegið in the supine.
Why is the word for 'the bribe' mútuna rather than just mútu?
Mútuna is the definite accusative form of the feminine noun múta. It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb þiggja. The -na ending is the attached definite article, making it 'the bribe' rather than just 'a bribe'.
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