Breakdown of Hafa þeir góða ástæðu eða bara stórt vandamál?
stór
big
góður
good
bara
just / only
þeir
they (m)
eða
or
hafa
to have
vandamálið
the problem
ástæðan
the reason
Questions & Answers about Hafa þeir góða ástæðu eða bara stórt vandamál?
Why does the sentence start with Hafa instead of Þeir hafa?
In Icelandic, to turn a statement into a yes/no question, you swap the verb and the subject. The statement for they have is Þeir hafa. By putting the verb first to make Hafa þeir, it becomes a question. Notice that Icelandic does not use a helper verb like the English word do to ask questions.
We learned that eiga means to have or to own. Why is this sentence using hafa?
In Icelandic, eiga is mostly used for things you physically own, like a car, as well as for relationships like family members. However, for abstract concepts that you cannot touch, like a reason (ástæða) or a problem (vandamál), you must use the verb hafa.
Why is it góða ástæðu instead of the dictionary forms góð ástæða?
The verb hafa forces the things being had into the accusative case, which is the object form. The word ástæða is a feminine noun, and its accusative form changes the ending to -u. The adjective góð must match it, changing to its feminine accusative form góða.
Why does the adjective stórt end in a -t here?
Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. The word vandamál is a neuter noun, and the -t at the end of stórt is the standard ending for neuter adjectives. Conveniently, the accusative object form of neuter words is exactly the same as their basic dictionary form, so they do not change spelling here.
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