Breakdown of Við föðmuðumst eftir spilakvöldið.
við
we
faðmast
to hug each other
eftir
after / for (waiting for)
spilakvöldið
the game night
Questions & Answers about Við föðmuðumst eftir spilakvöldið.
How is the middle voice past tense föðmuðumst built?
You start with the normal active past tense for við (we), which is föðmuðum (we hugged). Then, you simply add the middle voice suffix -st to the very end to get föðmuðumst. Notice that unlike some other pronoun forms, you don't drop any letters from the -um ending before adding the -st!
How does the -st ending change the meaning of the verb in this sentence?
The active verb faðma simply means "to hug" (for example, hugging a single person or a pillow). Adding the -st gives the verb a reciprocal meaning, turning it into faðmast (to hug each other). Expressing that two or more people are doing an action to each other is one of the most common uses for the Icelandic middle voice.
Why does the base verb faðmast change its vowel to an ö in föðmuðumst?
This is a great example of the U-shift rule, which you may remember from earlier lessons. The active past tense ending for við contains a u (the ending is -uðum). That u in the ending reaches back and changes the root vowel a into an ö. After this vowel shift happens, the -st is tacked onto the end.
Why is the noun spilakvöldið in the accusative case here?
The preposition eftir dictates the case. When eftir is used to mean "after" a certain point in time, it takes the accusative case. Because kvöld (night) is a neuter noun, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its dictionary (nominative) form, so the attached definite article -ið (the) stays the same too.
Learn Við föðmuðumst eftir spilakvöldið 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