Breakdown of Við getum ekki útilokað að hann hafi þegið margar mútur.
hann
he
ekki
not
við
we
að
that (conjunction)
hafa
to have
geta
to be able to
margur
many
þiggja
to accept (an offer, a gift)
mútan
the bribe
útiloka
to rule out
Questions & Answers about Við getum ekki útilokað að hann hafi þegið margar mútur.
Why do we use the subjunctive hafi instead of the indicative hefur here?
The main clause, Við getum ekki útilokað (We cannot rule out), expresses uncertainty or doubt. In Icelandic, when reporting an event in an að (that) clause with an element of doubt, possibility, or denial, you use the subjunctive. Since we are talking about a past event ("has accepted"), we use the present perfect subjunctive: the auxiliary hafa in the present subjunctive (hafi) plus the supine (þegið).
I don't recognize the verb form þegið. What verb is this?
It is the supine form of the strong verb þiggja, which means "to accept" or "to receive". Strong verbs often have unpredictable vowel changes. Its principal parts are þiggja (infinitive), þá (past singular), þágu (past plural), and þegið (supine).
Why are there two words ending in -ð (útilokað and þegið) in this sentence?
They are both in the supine form, but they are triggered by different auxiliary verbs in different clauses. In the main clause, getum (can) always forces its main verb into the supine, giving us útilokað (ruled out). In the subordinate clause, the perfect tense auxiliary hafi (has) also requires the supine, giving us þegið (accepted).
What is the literal translation of útilokað?
It literally means "locked out." It comes from combining úti (out) and loka (to close/lock). Together as the verb útiloka, it means "to rule out" or "to exclude."
Is mútur masculine, feminine, or neuter, and what case is it in here?
It is a feminine noun, múta, used here in the accusative plural (mútur). We know it's accusative because it's the direct object being acted upon by þegið (accepted). The adjective margar (many) matches it in the feminine accusative plural.
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