Breakdown of Keyptirðu barmmerkið handa bróður þínum áður en við fórum?
þú
you
við
we
kaupa
to buy
fara
to go
bróðirinn
the brother
þinn
your (m, f, n: þinn, þín, þitt)
áður en
before
handa
for (someone's benefit) (+ Dative)
barmmerkið
the pin
Questions & Answers about Keyptirðu barmmerkið handa bróður þínum áður en við fórum?
Why do we use handa instead of fyrir to mean 'for' in this sentence?
The preposition handa is specifically used when getting, making, or buying a tangible item for someone to keep. Because you bought the pin as a gift or item for the brother to own, handa is the right choice. If you were doing a favor on his behalf (like running the errand to the store because he was busy), you would use fyrir.
What case does handa take, and how does it affect the phrase bróðir þinn?
handa always forces the following noun phrase into the dative case. The word bróðir is an irregular kinship word that becomes bróður in the dative, and the possessive pronoun þinn changes to match it, becoming the masculine dative þínum.
How is the word barmmerkið formed?
It is a compound of barmur (meaning chest, breast, or jacket lapel) and merki (meaning sign, mark, or badge), plus the neuter definite article -ið. Literally 'the chest-badge', it is the standard Icelandic word for a pin or button you wear.
Why is the pronoun attached to the verb in Keyptirðu?
In Icelandic questions, the verb comes first. When a verb is immediately followed by the pronoun þú (you), they frequently merge in everyday speech and writing. Because the past tense verb keyptir ends in an -r, the þ softens into a ð, making Keyptirðu.
Why do we need en in the phrase áður en?
By itself, áður is an adverb that just means 'previously' or 'earlier'. To use 'before' as a conjunction that connects to a whole new clause containing a subject and verb (like við fórum), you must add en to make the phrase áður en.
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