Breakdown of Hún eyðir einum mánuði á Íslandi.
hún
she
einn
one
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
Ísland
Iceland
eyða
to spend
mánuðurinn
the month
Questions & Answers about Hún eyðir einum mánuði á Íslandi.
Why are the words for "one month" in the dative case here?
The verb eyða (to spend) always forces the thing being spent—in this case, time (einum mánuði)—into the dative case. This applies whether you are spending time or money!
How does the number "one" change to match the word "month"?
The number einn (one) must agree with the gender and case of the noun it describes. Because mánuður (month) is a masculine noun and the verb puts it in the dative case, the number changes to its masculine dative form: einum.
What is the dictionary form of mánuði?
The dictionary form (nominative case) is mánuður. When masculine nouns ending in -ur are used in the dative case, they often drop the -ur and add an -i, becoming mánuði.
Why do we use á instead of í for "in Iceland"?
In Icelandic, you conventionally use á (on) rather than í (in) when talking about being in Iceland. Because it describes a static location where something is happening (rather than movement towards it), á triggers the dative case, changing Ísland to Íslandi.
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