Breakdown of Hógværi meistari, við dýrkum snilldina í verkinu þínu.
við
we
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
þinn
your (m, f, n: þinn, þín, þitt)
verkið
the task / the work (creative work)
meistarinn
the champion
dýrka
to adore
snilldin
the brilliance
hógvær
humble
Questions & Answers about Hógværi meistari, við dýrkum snilldina í verkinu þínu.
Why do we use the weak form hógværi instead of the strong form hógvær here?
Because we are addressing the person directly. In Icelandic, when you use an adjective to speak directly to someone, you must use the weak form of the adjective, even though there is no definite article or pronoun in front of it.
Since we use the weak adjective hógværi, why isn't the noun definite, like meistarinn?
Direct address requires a unique combination: the adjective must be weak, but the noun must remain indefinite. Saying hógværi meistarinn would mean 'the humble master' as a regular subject in a sentence, not as someone you are calling out to.
Why are verkinu and þínu in the dative case?
The preposition í takes the dative case when it describes a location or where something is contained. Since the brilliance is located inside the work, verk and its possessive þinn both take the dative neuter forms verkinu þínu.
Why does the possessive þínu come after the noun verkinu?
In standard Icelandic, possessive pronouns like þinn usually come right after the noun they modify, and that noun takes the definite article suffix. That is why we say verkinu þínu (literally 'the work yours') instead of putting the possessive first.
Learn Hógværi meistari, við dýrkum snilldina í verkinu þínu 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