Breakdown of Hvar finn ég skákmann mikillar skerpu?
ég
I
hvar
where
finna
to find
mikill
great, much (adjective: snjórinn er mikill)
skákmaðurinn
the chess player
skerpan
the sharpness
Questions & Answers about Hvar finn ég skákmann mikillar skerpu?
Why is mikillar skerpu in the genitive case here?
This is the genitive of description (eiginleikaeignarfall). Instead of using a standalone adjective, Icelandic often uses a noun phrase in the genitive to describe a defining quality or characteristic of someone or something. Here, mikillar skerpu (of great sharpness) functions as a description of the chess player's intellect.
Why is the word for chess player written as skákmann instead of skákmaður?
It is the direct object of the verb finna (to find), which governs the accusative case. Because it is a compound word ending in -maður, it follows that word's declension and changes to -mann in the accusative singular.
I thought the genitive case usually ends in -s. Why is the genitive of sharpness skerpu?
The -s ending is primarily for strong masculine and neuter nouns. Skerpa is a weak feminine noun, which means it ends in a vowel in its dictionary form. Weak feminine nouns take the ending -u in the accusative, dative, and genitive singular cases.
Does skerpa only mean mental sharpness, or can it be used for physical objects?
It can be used for both. Just like in English, skerpa can refer to the physical sharpness of a blade, the visual sharpness of a photograph, or mental acuity and intelligence.
Learn Hvar finn ég skákmann mikillar skerpu and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free