Breakdown of Anna eldaði kvöldmatinn um helgina.
elda
to cook
Anna
Anna
um
over / during (a period of time)
helgin
the weekend
Questions & Answers about Anna eldaði kvöldmatinn um helgina.
How is the past tense formed in the word eldaði?
Eldaði comes from the verb elda (to cook). It belongs to Group 1 of weak verbs, which are very regular. To form the simple past for he, she, or it, you take the stem (eld-) and add the suffix -aði.
Why does kvöldmatinn have the -inn ending?
The -inn is the attached word for "the". The dictionary form is kvöldmatur (dinner). Because dinner is the direct object being cooked, it changes to the accusative case (kvöldmat). Adding the accusative "the" ending makes it kvöldmatinn (the dinner).
Does the preposition um always mean "over"?
Not always! Um frequently means "about" or "around". However, in time expressions like um helgina, it translates smoothly to "over the weekend" or "during the weekend".
Why is the word for weekend helgina instead of just helgi?
The preposition um requires the following noun to be in the accusative case. The base word helgi means "weekend", but this sentence specifically says "the weekend", so we add the definite article. The feminine accusative "the" ending makes it helgina.