Breakdown of Þú hefur tækifæri en þú hefur ekki val.
þú
you
en
but
ekki
not
hafa
to have
tækifærið
the opportunity
valið
the choice
Questions & Answers about Þú hefur tækifæri en þú hefur ekki val.
I learned that 'to have' is often translated using vera með. Why are we using hefur here?
In Icelandic, you use the verb hafa (here as hefur) for abstract things you possess, such as tækifæri (an opportunity) and val (a choice). If you were holding a physical object, you would normally use vera með.
Why is the verb spelled hefur instead of hafa?
Hafa is an irregular verb. When it is paired with the pronoun þú (you) in the present tense, its form changes to hefur.
Why does ekki come right after the verb, unlike in English where we say 'do not have'?
In standard Icelandic sentences, the verb must stay in the second position. Because of this strict rule, the negation word ekki is placed immediately after the verb, making the phrase literally 'you have not a choice'.
Where are the words for 'an' and 'a' before tækifæri and val?
Icelandic does not have indefinite articles like 'a' or 'an' in English. A noun on its own, like tækifæri, already translates to 'an opportunity' depending on the context of the sentence.
Do the words tækifæri and val change their spelling because they are the objects being had?
The verb hafa does require the nouns following it to be in the accusative (object) case. However, both tækifæri and val are neuter nouns, and neuter nouns conveniently do not change their spelling between the subject and object cases!
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