Breakdown of Strákurinn greiðir sér aldrei.
strákurinn
the boy
aldrei
never
sér
himself/herself/themselves (dat)
greiða
to comb
Questions & Answers about Strákurinn greiðir sér aldrei.
Why does this sentence use sér instead of sig?
In Icelandic, the verb að greiða (to comb) requires the dative case when you do it to yourself. The dative form of the third-person reflexive pronoun is sér. If the verb required the accusative case, we would use sig.
The translation says 'combs his hair,' but I don't see the word for hair here. Why?
The phrase að greiða sér literally translates to 'to comb oneself.' In Icelandic, this specific reflexive phrase automatically implies combing your hair, so you don't need to add the actual word for hair (hár).
I thought að greiða meant 'to pay.' How do I know it means 'to comb' here?
Að greiða is a verb with multiple meanings. It can mean 'to pay,' but when it is used with a reflexive pronoun like sér, it means 'to comb one's hair.' The context of doing this action to oneself makes the meaning clear.
Why does the word for boy, strákur, end in -inn here?
In Icelandic, the word for 'the' (the definite article) attaches to the end of the noun. So, strákur means 'a boy' and strákurinn means 'the boy.'
Learn Strákurinn greiðir sér aldrei and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free