Breakdown of Gætirðu prentað kvittunina fyrir mig?
ég
I
fyrir
for (fyrir þig)
prenta
to print
kvittunin
the receipt
gætirðu
could you
Questions & Answers about Gætirðu prentað kvittunina fyrir mig?
Where does the word gætirðu come from?
It is a polite way to say "Could you". It combines gætir (the subjunctive form of geta, used for polite requests) and the pronoun þú ("you"). In Icelandic, when þú comes immediately after a verb ending in -r, they merge and the pronoun becomes -ðu.
Why do we use prentað instead of the infinitive prenta?
The verb geta (and its polite form gæti) is unique in Icelandic grammar. Instead of being followed by an infinitive verb like most helper verbs, it must be followed by the supine form (the neuter past participle). That is why we use prentað here instead of the dictionary form prenta.
What case is kvittunina in?
It is in the accusative case, because it is the direct object receiving the action of being printed. The base word is the feminine noun kvittun (receipt). To say "the receipt" in the accusative, we add the attached definite article -ina to make kvittunina.
Why does the sentence use fyrir mig instead of fyrir mér?
The preposition fyrir can be followed by either the accusative or the dative case depending on its meaning. When it means "for" in the sense of doing a favor for someone's benefit, it always takes the accusative case. Therefore, we use the accusative pronoun mig instead of the dative mér.
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