Breakdown of Það er hægt að labba með fyrirferðarmikla kassann í þakíbúðina.
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
kassinn
the box
með
with
labba
to walk (informal)
vera hægt að
to be possible to (það er hægt að)
fyrirferðarmikill
bulky
þakíbúðin
the penthouse (f)
Questions & Answers about Það er hægt að labba með fyrirferðarmikla kassann í þakíbúðina.
Why does með take the accusative (kassann) here instead of the dative?
This is the core of the valency-shifting trick you are learning. Normally, með takes the dative. However, when paired with a verb of motion like labba to mean you are carrying, leading, or transporting an object, með triggers the accusative case.
How exactly does labba með translate to "walk the box" instead of "walk with the box"?
Adding með plus the accusative to an intransitive motion verb turns it into a transitive action of bringing something along. While you are literally walking "with" the box, this specific Icelandic structure is the standard way to express actively transporting an object, which is why it translates best to "walking the box."
Why does the adjective fyrirferðarmikla end in "-a" instead of a strong accusative ending?
Because the noun it describes, kassann, has an attached definite article. Whenever an adjective modifies a definite noun, it must use the weak declension. The weak ending for a masculine accusative adjective is -a.
Why is þakíbúðina (the penthouse) in the accusative case?
The preposition í takes the accusative case when it indicates active movement toward a destination (into the penthouse). If the walking were just happening statically inside the penthouse, í would take the dative case instead.
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