Breakdown of Hún byrjar að þráast við á kvöldin.
hún
she
að
to (infinitive marker)
kvöldið
the evening
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
byrja
to start
þráast við
to resist stubbornly
Questions & Answers about Hún byrjar að þráast við á kvöldin.
The verb þráast looks like it comes from þrá (to desire). How does it mean 'resist'?
Þráast is an -st verb (middle voice) that has developed a very different meaning from the active verb þrá (to yearn). When used with the particle við, the phrase þráast við means to be obstinate, dig your heels in, or resist.
Does the word við require an object in this sentence?
No, in this context við is acting as an adverbial particle rather than a preposition. It pairs directly with þráast to complete the phrasal verb þráast við, much like 'back' does in the English phrase 'push back'. It does not need a noun after it.
Why is kvöldin in the accusative case here instead of the dative?
When the preposition á is used with a definite plural time word to express a recurring event, it takes the accusative case. Using á kvöldin translates to 'in the evenings' or 'every evening'. If you were referring to an ongoing state during a specific evening, different rules would apply.
How could I add to this sentence to say '...no matter what I say', using the concessive clause grammar from this lesson?
You would use the invariable adjective sama followed by the interrogative word hvað (what). The addition would look like this: Hún byrjar að þráast við á kvöldin, sama hvað ég segi.
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