Breakdown of Við eigum áttavitann en þeir tóku búnaðinn.
en
but
við
we
þeir
they (m)
taka
to take
eiga
to own / to have (a relationship)
búnaðurinn
the equipment
áttavitinn
the compass
Questions & Answers about Við eigum áttavitann en þeir tóku búnaðinn.
How does the verb taka (to take) change to become tóku here?
Tóku is the plural past tense form for þeir (they). Taka is a strong verb, meaning it changes its inner vowel in the past tense instead of adding a regular ending like -ði. In the plural past tense, the vowel changes from "a" to "ó", giving us tóku.
Why is eigum in the present tense when the rest of the sentence is in the past?
It is perfectly normal to mix tenses when the meanings call for it! Við eigum means "we own"—a state that is still true right now. Meanwhile, þeir tóku ("they took") describes a completed action that happened in the past.
Why does the word for compass (áttaviti) become áttavitann?
It is the direct object of the verb eigum, so it needs to be in the accusative case. For a masculine noun ending in -i like áttaviti, the accusative form is áttavita. To say "the compass", we attach the definite article ending -nn, creating áttavitann.
How does the ending of búnaðinn (the equipment) compare to áttavitann?
Both are masculine nouns in the accusative case with "the" attached to the end, but they follow different patterns. The dictionary form of equipment is búnaður. In the accusative case, it drops the -ur to become búnað. Adding the definite article ending -inn gives us búnaðinn.
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