Breakdown of Pirringurinn skemmir geðslag manns á morgnana.
á morgnana
in the mornings
maður
one (impersonal pronoun)
skemma
to ruin
pirringurinn
the irritation
geðslagið
the mood
Questions & Answers about Pirringurinn skemmir geðslag manns á morgnana.
How does the word manns work in this sentence?
Manns is the genitive (possessive) case of the impersonal pronoun maður (one). It literally translates to "one's". Since this lesson focuses on the oblique cases of maður, remember that whenever you need to say "one's [noun]" or "a person's [noun]" as a general statement, you will use the genitive form manns.
Why is geðslag in the indefinite form here? Don't we usually use the definite article for possession, like in bíllinn minn?
That is a great rule to remember for possessive words like minn or þinn, which usually require a definite noun. However, when possession is shown using a noun or pronoun in the genitive case—like the genitive manns here—the possessed noun generally stays in the indefinite form. Therefore, we say geðslag manns rather than geðslagið manns.
Why do we use á morgnana instead of í morgun to mean "in the morning"?
The phrase á morgnana uses the plural definite accusative form of morgunn to indicate a recurring event or a general truth, meaning "in the mornings" or "every morning". By contrast, í morgun specifically means "this morning" (referring to earlier today), which wouldn't fit this sentence's general statement about how irritation affects people.
How does the word geðslag break down?
It is a neuter compound noun made of geð (mind, mood, or temper) and slag (type, sort, or beat). Together, it means someone's disposition or mood. You have probably seen the root geð in other vocabulary, such as geðveikur (crazy, literally "mind-sick") or geðvonska (bad mood).
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