Breakdown of Pabbi vinnur á kaffihúsinu með kærastanum.
pabbinn
the dad (informal)
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
vinna
to work (general labor, to do work)
með
with
kærastinn
the boyfriend
kaffihúsið
the café
Questions & Answers about Pabbi vinnur á kaffihúsinu með kærastanum.
Why is the word for boyfriend in the dative case here?
This is because of the preposition með. When með means 'along with' or accompanying someone, it requires the noun that follows it to be in the dative case.
How did kærasti (boyfriend) become kærastanum?
Kærasti is a 'weak' masculine noun, meaning its base form ends in a vowel. In the dative case, it changes to kærasta. Then, we add the masculine dative definite article -num ('the') to the end, resulting in kærastanum.
The English translation says 'with his boyfriend', but I only see 'the boyfriend' (kærastanum). Why isn't there a word for 'his'?
In Icelandic, it is very common to drop possessive words like 'his', 'her', or 'my' when talking about family members, body parts, or partners if the context makes it obvious. Saying með kærastanum (literally 'with the boyfriend') naturally implies that it is his own boyfriend.
Why is kaffihúsinu also in the dative case?
The preposition á takes the dative case when it describes a stationary location where an action is happening right now. Since Dad is working at the café, the neuter noun kaffihús takes the dative definite ending -inu to become á kaffihúsinu (at the café).
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