Questions & Answers about Fyrst kastar þú teningnum.
Why does the verb kastar come before the subject þú?
This is because of the V2 (verb-second) rule. Whenever you start a sentence with an adverb like Fyrst (First), the verb must take the second position. So, the sentence structure becomes 'First throw you' (Fyrst kastar þú) instead of 'First you throw'.
Does the verb kasta (to throw) require a specific case?
Yes! The verb kasta forces the object being thrown to be in the dative case. This is why the basic noun teningur changes its ending here.
How exactly does the word teningnum break down?
It is the dative, singular, definite form of the masculine noun teningur. First, the dative case changes teningur to teningi. Then, adding the definite article suffix (meaning 'the') turns it into teningnum.
The English translation says 'dice', but is teningnum singular or plural?
It is strictly singular, meaning 'the die'. However, in everyday English, people often say 'throw the dice' even when using just one. If you were throwing multiple dice, the Icelandic word would be teningunum.
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