Breakdown of Við klöppum fyrir þessum leikurum.
við
we
þessi
this (m/f)
fyrir
for (fyrir þig)
klappa
to clap
leikarinn
the actor
Questions & Answers about Við klöppum fyrir þessum leikurum.
Why is "these" translated as þessum instead of the nominative plural form þessir?
The preposition fyrir (for) forces the following words into the dative case here. The dative plural form of the demonstrative pronoun þessi (this/these) is þessum. A great bonus for learners: þessum is the dative plural form for all three genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter)!
I thought þessum meant "this" in the singular. Can it also mean "these"?
Yes! The word þessum does double duty. It is the dative singular form for masculine and neuter nouns, but it is also the dative plural form for all genders. Since leikurum (actors) is plural, þessum translates to "these" in this sentence.
Does the preposition fyrir always trigger the dative case?
No, fyrir can take either the accusative or the dative case depending on the context. When it implies doing an action for someone's benefit or to show appreciation (like clapping for them), or being physically "in front of" something, it takes the dative. That is why both the pronoun and the noun here take dative endings.
What is the dictionary form of leikurum, and why does it end in -um?
The dictionary form is leikari (actor). In Icelandic, almost all nouns in the dative plural end in -um, regardless of their gender or what they look like in the singular. So the plural dative of leikari naturally becomes leikurum.
Why is the verb klöppum spelled with an ö when the dictionary form is klappa?
The vowel changes from a to ö because of the classic Icelandic "U-shift" rule. Whenever you add an ending that contains the letter u (like the "we" verb ending -um), an a in the root of the word shifts to an ö.
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