Breakdown of Af hverju ert þú að hlaupa með flygilinn?
vera
to be
þú
you
að
to (infinitive marker)
hlaupa
to run
með
with
af hverju
why
flygillinn
the grand piano (m)
Questions & Answers about Af hverju ert þú að hlaupa með flygilinn?
Why does með take the accusative case here for flygilinn instead of the dative?
This is the valency-shifting use of með you are learning in this lesson. When með implies moving, carrying, or transporting an object, it dictates the accusative case. If it took the dative here, it would mean the piano was running alongside you as a companion!
What is the base noun for flygilinn and how is the definite article attached?
The nominative base is flygill (a masculine noun meaning grand piano). In the accusative, it loses the second L to become flygil. Then we add the masculine accusative definite article -inn to get flygilinn.
Could I just say Af hverju hleypur þú með flygilinn?
You could, but ert þú að hlaupa (using the continuous vera að plus infinitive structure) emphasizes that the action is happening right at this very moment. It highlights the absurdity of catching someone in the active process of running with a piano.
Is the phrase af hverju governed by a preposition?
Yes, hverju is the dative form of the question word hvað (what). The preposition af always takes the dative case, so af hverju literally translates to from what, which is how Icelandic traditionally expresses the concept of why.
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