Breakdown of Við skildumst á spilakvöldinu.
við
we
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
skiljast
to part ways
spilakvöldið
the game night
Questions & Answers about Við skildumst á spilakvöldinu.
How is the verb skildumst formed?
It is the simple past tense, middle voice form of skilja. First, you take the regular past tense for 'we' (við skildum, meaning 'we understood' or 'we separated'), and then you add the middle voice suffix -st.
Why does adding -st change the meaning to 'parted ways'?
The active verb skilja usually means 'to understand' or 'to separate'. The middle voice -st ending often creates a reciprocal meaning, which describes two or more people doing something to each other. Here, við skildumst literally means 'we separated from each other', which translates naturally to 'we parted ways'.
Why is spilakvöldinu in the dative case?
The preposition á takes the dative case when it describes a fixed location or an event where something is currently happening (like being at the game night). If the sentence described movement to the event, á would take the accusative case instead.
What are the parts of the word spilakvöldinu?
It is a compound noun made of spil (game or playing cards) and kvöld (night). The -inu at the end is the attached neuter dative singular definite article, making it 'the' game night.
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