Breakdown of Þau eiga að ryksuga gólfið.
þau
they (n)
að
to (infinitive marker)
gólfið
the floor
eiga að
to be supposed to
ryksuga
to vacuum
Questions & Answers about Þau eiga að ryksuga gólfið.
Doesn't eiga usually mean "to own"? Why does it mean "are supposed to" here?
You are right that eiga by itself means "to own" or "to have." But when you combine it with að and another verb in the infinitive (like að ryksuga), it changes meaning. The pattern eiga að means "to be supposed to" or "ought to" do something. It expresses an obligation or expectation.
Why is the pronoun þau used for "they" instead of þeir or þær?
The word ryksuga looks interesting. What does it literally mean?
It literally means "dust-sucker"! It is a compound word made from ryk (dust) and suga (to suck). It acts as both the noun for "vacuum cleaner" and, like in this sentence, the verb for "to vacuum."
What case is gólfið in this sentence?
Gólfið is the definite form of gólf (meaning the floor). It is in the accusative case here because it is the direct object receiving the action of the verb ryksuga (vacuuming). Since gólf is a neuter word, its nominative and accusative forms look exactly the same!
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