Breakdown of Getur þú stytt kjólinn svolítið?
þú
you
kjóllinn
the dress
geta
to be able to
stytta
to shorten
Questions & Answers about Getur þú stytt kjólinn svolítið?
How does the word svolítið work in this sentence?
Svolítið translates to "a little" or "a bit". It is an adverb of degree describing how much you want the dress shortened. In Icelandic, adverbs like this usually go at the very end of the sentence or right after the object they relate to.
Is svolítið made of two different words?
Yes, it is a combination of svo (so) and lítið (little). Put together, svolítið is a very common adverb used to say "a little" or "somewhat" in everyday Icelandic.
Why is the verb stytt used instead of the infinitive stytta?
In Icelandic, the verb geta (can, or to be able to) is special because it forces the main verb into the supine form (the past participle) instead of the standard dictionary infinitive. That is why we use stytt (shortened) instead of the infinitive stytta (to shorten).
What case is kjólinn in and why?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object receiving the action of being shortened. The base masculine noun is kjóll (dress). Using its accusative form and attaching the definite article makes it kjólinn (the dress).