Breakdown of Þeir heilsast í innkeyrslunni af því að þeir eru kurteisir.
vera
to be
þeir
they (m)
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
af því að
because
heilsast
to greet each other
kurteis
polite
innkeyrslan
the driveway
Questions & Answers about Þeir heilsast í innkeyrslunni af því að þeir eru kurteisir.
Why does heilsast end in -st in this sentence?
The -st ending shows the middle voice. In this lesson, adding it to a plural verb gives it a reciprocal meaning, translating to 'each other'. While the active verb að heilsa means 'to greet', the middle voice að heilsast means 'to greet each other'.
Why is innkeyrslunni in the dative case here?
The preposition í takes the dative case when it describes a fixed location where an action is happening (in the driveway). The -nni at the end is the attached definite article for a feminine dative noun.
Why are there three words (af því að) used to say 'because'?
In Icelandic, af því að is the standard phrase for 'because'. It translates literally to 'of that that', but you should just treat this three-word phrase as a single block meaning 'because'.
Why is the adjective kurteisir used instead of just kurteis?
Adjectives must match the gender and number of the noun or pronoun they describe. Because þeir (they) is a masculine plural pronoun, the adjective for polite takes the masculine plural nominative ending -ir.
Learn Þeir heilsast í innkeyrslunni af því að þeir eru kurteisir 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