Breakdown of Við erum með körfuna og hún er með vegabréfið.
vera
to be
og
and
hún
she
við
we
með
with
vegabréfið
the passport
karfan
the basket
Questions & Answers about Við erum með körfuna og hún er með vegabréfið.
Why does the sentence use erum með and er með instead of a regular verb for 'to have' or 'to carry'?
In Icelandic, to express that you physically have, hold, or carry something right now, you use the verb vera (to be) followed by the preposition með (with). So Við erum með körfuna literally means 'We are with the basket', which is the standard way to say 'We are carrying the basket'.
Why are the words körfuna (the basket) and vegabréfið (the passport) in the accusative case here?
The preposition með dictates the grammatical case of the noun that follows it. When vera með is used for physical possession or carrying something, the item being carried must always be in the accusative case.
How do we get the form körfuna from the dictionary word karfa (basket)?
Karfa is a feminine noun. In the accusative case, the word changes to körfu (notice the first vowel changes from A to Ö, which is a common shift!). To say 'the basket' in the accusative, you add the feminine definite article suffix -na to the end, resulting in körfuna.
Why doesn't vegabréfið (the passport) look like it changed for the accusative case?
Vegabréf is a neuter noun. A handy rule in Icelandic is that all neuter nouns look exactly the same in the nominative (subject) and accusative (object) cases. The -ið at the end is just the neuter definite article meaning 'the', which also stays the same here.
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