Breakdown of Ég roðnaði af skömm og reiði.
og
and
ég
I
skömmin
the shame
roðna
to blush
af
from (out of, cause)
reiðin
the anger
Questions & Answers about Ég roðnaði af skömm og reiði.
Why do we use af here when the English translation says "with"?
In Icelandic, the preposition af (always followed by the dative case) is the standard way to express the underlying cause of a physical or mental state. Even though English uses "with" or "from" in phrases like "blushing with shame" or "shaking from fear", Icelandic consistently relies on causal af for these involuntary reactions to emotions.
Are skömm and reiði actually in the dative case here? They look just like their dictionary forms.
Yes, they are both dative because they follow the preposition af! The feminine noun skömm (shame) happens to be identical in the nominative, accusative, and dative singular. The feminine noun reiði (anger) is even simpler: it never changes its spelling at all in the singular, remaining reiði across all four cases.
Could I use vegna (because of) instead of af in this sentence?
Grammatically, you could say vegna skammar (remembering that vegna forces the genitive case instead of the dative), but it sounds very analytical and formal. When describing a direct, spontaneous bodily reaction to a feeling, causal af is much more natural and idiomatic than vegna.
How does the verb roðna get its meaning? Is it related to the color red?
Exactly. It derives from the root for "red" (rauður). The Icelandic suffix -na is frequently added to adjectives to create an intransitive verb meaning "to become [adjective]." So, roðna literally means "to become red." You've likely seen this same pattern in words like hitna (to get hot) or kólna (to get cold).
Learn Ég roðnaði af skömm og reiði 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