Breakdown of Þetta er leyndarmálið sem hún getur ekki sagt okkur.
þetta
this
vera
to be
hún
she
ekki
not
okkur
us
segja
to say
sem
who / which / that
geta
to be able to
leyndarmálið
the secret
Questions & Answers about Þetta er leyndarmálið sem hún getur ekki sagt okkur.
Why do we use sagt instead of the infinitive segja (to tell)?
In Icelandic, the modal verb geta (can/be able to) is special because it is always followed by the supine form of the main verb, not the infinitive. The supine is the form normally used with the verb to have (as in has told). Therefore, we must use the supine sagt rather than the infinitive segja.
Why does the word ekki (not) come before the main verb sagt?
In Icelandic relative clauses (parts of a sentence that start with the word sem), adverbs like ekki are placed immediately after the conjugated verb (getur) and before the second verb (sagt).
Why is us translated as okkur in this sentence?
The verb segja takes an indirect object in the dative case for the person who is being told something. Okkur is the dative form of the pronoun við (we).
What gender is the noun leyndarmálið and how can we tell?
It is a neuter noun. We can tell because it ends with the neuter definite article -ið attached to the base word leyndarmál (secret). Because it is neuter, the sentence begins with the neuter pronoun þetta (this) to match it.
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