Breakdown of Ert þú hrifinn af þessum sýningum?
vera
to be
þú
you
þessi
this (m/f)
hrifinn
impressed
af
by (with 'hrifinn')
sýningin
the show
Questions & Answers about Ert þú hrifinn af þessum sýningum?
Why do we use the form þessum here instead of another form of þessi?
The preposition af always forces the words that follow it into the dative case. Since we are talking about plural shows, we need the dative plural of þessi (this/these). For all genders, the dative plural is always þessum.
Notice how both þessum and sýningum end in -um. Is that a coincidence?
Not at all! The -um ending is the standard marker for the dative plural in Icelandic. It applies to almost all nouns (like sýningum), adjectives, and pronouns (like þessum) when they are plural and in the dative case.
Would the word hrifinn change if I were asking a woman?
Yes, it would. Hrifinn is an adjective describing þú (you), and here it is in the masculine singular form. If you were asking a woman, you would drop one 'n' and use the feminine form hrifin.
Does the phrase hrifinn af always take the dative case?
Yes! The preposition af is what determines the case here, and it exclusively takes the dative. The phrase vera hrifinn af (to be fond of or impressed by) will always force the thing you are impressed by into the dative.
Learn Ert þú hrifinn af þessum sýningum and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free