Breakdown of Við stökkvum yfir hliðið og hindrunina.
og
and
við
we
yfir
past / over, across
stökkva
to jump
hindrunin
the obstacle
hliðið
the gate
Questions & Answers about Við stökkvum yfir hliðið og hindrunina.
Why are the words for "the gate" and "the obstacle" in the accusative case here?
In this lesson, you are learning that prepositions of direction like yfir (over) take the accusative case when there is movement across a path or towards a destination. Since we are actively jumping over them, both hliðið and hindrunina must be in the accusative.
Does yfir always take the accusative case?
Not always! The preposition yfir takes the accusative when there is movement from one place to another, exactly like in this sentence. If something is simply resting or hanging over something else (no movement), yfir takes the dative case instead.
How can I tell the genders of hliðið and hindrunina from their endings?
You can spot their genders by looking at the definite article attached to the end of each word in the accusative case. Hlið (gate) is a neuter noun, so its accusative "the" ending is -ið, making hliðið. Hindrun (obstacle) is a feminine noun, and its accusative ending is -ina, giving us hindrunina.
What is the dictionary form of the verb stökkvum?
The dictionary form (infinitive) is stökkva (to jump). Because the subject of the sentence is við (we), the verb takes the standard "we" ending -um, becoming stökkvum.
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