Við vorum að elta þá.

Questions & Answers about Við vorum að elta þá.

How does the past continuous work in Við vorum að elta?
This is the structure you are focusing on in this lesson. It uses the past tense of vera (to be), which is vorum for við, followed by and the infinitive verb elta (to chase). Together, this gives you the continuous action "were chasing".
Why is the word for "them" þá in this sentence?
The verb elta forces the object being chased into the accusative case. Þá is the masculine plural accusative form of "they". If the group being chased were all women, you would use þær, and if it were a mixed-gender group, you would use þau.
Could elta just mean "to follow" instead of "to chase"?
Yes! The verb elta translates to both "to chase" and "to follow". You usually have to rely on the context of the conversation to know if someone is running after someone aggressively or just following behind them.

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