Breakdown of Maðurinn er með bindi og hann er með regnhlífina.
vera
to be
og
and
hann
he
maðurinn
the man
með
with
regnhlífin
the umbrella
bindið
the tie
Questions & Answers about Maðurinn er með bindi og hann er með regnhlífina.
Why does er með mean "is wearing" for the tie but "is carrying" for the umbrella?
In Icelandic, the phrase vera með (to be with) is a very versatile way to express both wearing an item of clothing and physically holding or carrying an object. You just translate it into English based on whatever makes the most sense for that specific object!
Since the lesson is about vera með taking the accusative case, where can we see the accusative in this sentence?
You can spot the accusative case clearly on the word regnhlífina (the umbrella). The base feminine word is regnhlíf, and the accusative "the" ending for feminine words is -ina.
Wait, if the objects are in the accusative case, why does bindi look exactly like its dictionary form?
Bindi (a tie) is a neuter noun. In Icelandic, all neuter words have the exact same spelling in the accusative case as they do in the nominative (dictionary) case. It is grammatically accusative here, but the word itself doesn't change.
Why does the sentence use "a tie" but "the umbrella"?
This is just a choice of context for the sentence. Bindi is indefinite, meaning "a tie". Regnhlífina has the definite article attached to the end, making it "the umbrella". If the speaker wanted to say "the tie", they would have used the definite neuter form, bindið.
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