Breakdown of Ég veðja tíu krónum á liðið mitt.
ég
I
tíu
ten
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
minn
my (m, f, n: minn, mín, mitt)
krónan
the króna (Icelandic currency)
liðið
the team
veðja
to bet
Questions & Answers about Ég veðja tíu krónum á liðið mitt.
Why is krónum in the dative case here?
The verb veðja (to bet) governs the dative case for the thing you are wagering. You can think of this as an 'instrumental dative,' where the money is the instrument you are using to make the bet.
Why doesn't the number tíu change case to match krónum?
In Icelandic, only the numbers one through four decline (change their endings) to match the gender and case of the noun. Numbers from five onwards, including tíu (ten), are indeclinable, so they stay the exact same regardless of the noun's case.
Why does the preposition á take the accusative case (liðið mitt) in this sentence?
The preposition á can take either the dative or accusative case. Here, it takes the accusative because you are directing your bet 'onto' the team as a target. If you used the dative (á liðinu mínu), it would literally mean you were physically standing on top of your team while placing the bet!
Could I say á mitt lið instead of á liðið mitt?
Yes, but it changes the tone. Putting the possessive pronoun after the noun with the definite article (liðið mitt) is the standard, neutral way to say 'my team'. Putting it before the noun without the article (mitt lið) places a strong, contrastive emphasis on 'my'—meaning you are betting on your team as opposed to someone else's.
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