Breakdown of Við þurfum að finna póstkort handa kennaranum áður en við förum heim.
kennarinn
the teacher
við
we
heim
home
fara
to go
að
to (infinitive marker)
finna
to find
þurfa
to need
áður en
before
handa
for (someone's benefit) (+ Dative)
póstkortið
the postcard
Questions & Answers about Við þurfum að finna póstkort handa kennaranum áður en við förum heim.
Why use handa instead of fyrir in this sentence?
The preposition handa is specifically used for gifts or tangible items that you are getting, making, or buying for someone to keep. Because they are finding a postcard for the teacher to have, handa is the perfect fit. If you were doing a favor on the teacher's behalf, you would use fyrir.
How does handa affect the word kennaranum?
The preposition handa always dictates that the following noun must be in the dative case. The base word is kennari, which is a masculine noun. In the dative, it becomes kennara. When we attach the definite article to mean the teacher, it becomes kennaranum.
I see póstkort has no ending. Which case is it in here?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb að finna. The word póstkort is a neuter noun, and neuter nouns always have identical forms in the nominative and accusative cases, which is why it looks unchanged.
Could we just say áður við förum heim without en?
No, you need en. While áður on its own is an adverb meaning earlier, you must use the full conjunction phrase áður en when connecting it to a clause with a subject and verb to mean before we do something.
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