Breakdown of Strákurinn er að velja þennan bol.
vera
to be
strákurinn
the boy
að
to (infinitive marker)
þessi
this (m/f)
velja
to choose
bolurinn
the t-shirt
Questions & Answers about Strákurinn er að velja þennan bol.
Why is the word for 'this' written as þennan instead of þessi?
Because it is the direct object of the sentence. The verb velja (to choose) makes the following words take the accusative (object) form. Since the word for t-shirt is masculine, the demonstrative pronoun þessi changes to its masculine accusative form, þennan.
Why does the sentence use bol instead of the dictionary word bolur?
Bolur is a masculine noun. When it becomes the direct object (the thing being chosen), it changes to the accusative case. For many masculine nouns, this means simply dropping the -ur ending, leaving us with bol.
Why does it say er að velja instead of just velur?
Er að velja translates directly to 'is choosing'. Icelandic uses the verb vera (to be) plus að and the dictionary form of the main verb (velja) to show that an action is happening right at this very moment. If the sentence meant 'The boy chooses' as a general habit, it would just be Strákurinn velur.
How do we know strákurinn means 'the boy' and not just 'boy'?
In Icelandic, the word for 'the' is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word before it. Strákur means 'a boy', and adding the suffix -inn makes it strákurinn ('the boy').
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