Breakdown of Ég valdi tvö bókamerki handa frænda mínum.
ég
I
tveir
two
minn
my (m, f, n: minn, mín, mitt)
velja
to choose
frændinn
the uncle
handa
for (someone's benefit) (+ Dative)
bókamerkið
the bookmark
Questions & Answers about Ég valdi tvö bókamerki handa frænda mínum.
Why use handa here instead of fyrir for the word "for"?
The preposition handa is used specifically when getting or giving something for someone to keep, like a gift. Because you are choosing bookmarks for your uncle to have, handa is the natural choice. It always takes the dative case.
How does the phrase frænda mínum decline in this sentence?
The preposition handa forces the dative case. frændi (uncle or male relative) is a weak masculine noun, so it changes to frænda in the accusative, dative, and genitive. The possessive pronoun minn must agree, becoming the masculine dative singular mínum.
Why is the number tvö used, and why doesn't bókamerki look plural?
bókamerki (bookmark) is a neuter noun. Neuter nouns ending in a vowel have the exact same form in the singular and plural for both the nominative and accusative cases. We use the neuter plural form of the number two, tvö, to match it.
What is the infinitive of valdi, and why does the vowel change?
The infinitive is velja (to choose). Even though it is a weak verb, it undergoes a vowel shift from e in the present to a in the past tense, which is why it becomes valdi.
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