Breakdown of Maðurinn er þolinmóður og bíður eftir heimsókninni.
vera
to be
og
and
maðurinn
the man
bíða
to wait
eftir
after / for (waiting for)
þolinmóður
patient
heimsóknin
the visit
Questions & Answers about Maðurinn er þolinmóður og bíður eftir heimsókninni.
Why does the word for the visit change to heimsókninni here?
This is because of the phrase bíður eftir (waits for). The verb bíða (to wait) pairs with the preposition eftir, and together they always force the following noun to take the dative case. Heimsókn (a visit) is a feminine noun, and its definite dative form is heimsókninni.
Doesn't eftir usually mean after?
Yes, when used as a standard preposition of time or place, eftir often means after. However, Icelandic has many prepositional verbs where a verb and a preposition are locked together to create a specific meaning. In the set phrase bíða eftir, it always translates to wait for.
Why does the adjective þolinmóður end in -ur?
Adjectives in Icelandic must match the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. Because maðurinn (the man) is a masculine noun acting as the subject (nominative case), the adjective takes the masculine nominative ending -ur. If the sentence were about a woman, it would just be Konan er þolinmóð.
How exactly does the ending of heimsókninni work?
The base dictionary word is heimsókn (visit). The dative singular form for this feminine noun doesn't actually change, so it remains heimsókn. To say the visit, we attach the feminine dative definite article, which is -inni. Putting them together gives us heimsókninni.
Learn Maðurinn er þolinmóður og bíður eftir heimsókninni and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free