Breakdown of Geta margir komið á mótmælin?
koma
to come
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
geta
to be able to
margur
many
mótmælin
the protests
Questions & Answers about Geta margir komið á mótmælin?
Why is the word for 'many' in the form margir here?
Margir is the masculine plural nominative form of the word for 'many'. It is in the nominative case because 'many' is the subject of the sentence (the people who can come). When referring to people in general without specifying gender, Icelandic uses the masculine plural.
Why do we use komið instead of the infinitive koma?
The verb geta (can / to be able to) is a special helping verb in Icelandic. Unlike most others, geta always requires the next verb to be in the supine form—the exact same form you use after 'to have'. That is why we say Geta ... komið instead of Geta ... koma.
What are the parts of the word mótmælin?
It is made of the noun mótmæli (protests) plus the attached definite article -n (the). Mótmæli is a neuter word that is almost always used in the plural. Even though it is one event, you treat it grammatically as 'the protests'.
Why do we use the preposition á to mean 'to' the protests?
When talking about going to an event, gathering, or public function (like a protest, concert, or ball), Icelandic typically uses á rather than til. Because there is motion towards the event, á triggers the accusative case for mótmælin.
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