Breakdown of Hann hafði ekki verið neitt kvíðinn áður en hann prófaði flottankinn.
vera
to be
hann
he
ekki
not
prófa
to try
hafa
to have
áður en
before
flottankurinn
the float tank
neitt
at all
kvíðinn
anxious (apprehensive, nervous)
Questions & Answers about Hann hafði ekki verið neitt kvíðinn áður en hann prófaði flottankinn.
How does neitt function in this sentence, and why isn't it declined to agree with hann?
Here, neitt is used as a negative polarity degree adverb modifying the adjective kvíðinn. In this role, it means "at all" and is entirely indeclinable, so it stays neitt regardless of the subject's gender or number.
If the subject were female (hún), how would the phrase neitt kvíðinn change?
It would change to neitt kvíðin. The adjective must agree with the feminine subject, dropping the second -n. However, as a degree adverb, neitt remains completely unchanged.
Why does ekki come before verið rather than after the whole verb phrase?
In Icelandic main clauses, sentence adverbs like ekki (not) are placed immediately after the finite, or conjugated, verb. Since hafði is the conjugated verb here, ekki sits between it and the supine verið.
Why do we need en in the phrase áður en? Can I just say áður hann prófaði?
No, you cannot drop en. By itself, áður is just an adverb meaning "previously." To make it a conjunction that connects two clauses (like "before he tried"), you must pair it with en.
Is flottankinn a native Icelandic word or a loanword?
It is a hybrid compound. It combines the native Icelandic word flot (floating) with tankur (tank), which is borrowed from English. Here it takes the accusative form (tank plus definite article -inn) because it is the direct object of the verb prófaði.
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