Breakdown of Ég laga stólinn með skrúfjárninu og söginni.
og
and
ég
I
stóllinn
the chair
laga
to fix
með
with
skrúfjárnið
the screwdriver
sögin
the saw
Questions & Answers about Ég laga stólinn með skrúfjárninu og söginni.
Why are the tools in the dative case here?
In Icelandic, the preposition með takes the dative case when it is used to mean 'by means of' or 'using a tool.' Since you are using the screwdriver and the saw to fix the chair, they both must be in the dative case.
Why is stólinn in the accusative case if the tools are in the dative?
Cases are applied based on each word's role in the sentence. Stólinn (the chair) is the direct object being acted upon by the verb laga (to fix), so it takes the accusative case. The tools only take the dative case because they directly follow the preposition með.
How do the definite articles attach to the dative words skrúfjárninu and söginni?
What is the base dictionary form of the word söginni?
The base form is sög, which means 'a saw'. When you add the feminine definite article -in it becomes sögin (the saw), and in the dative case that combined word changes to söginni.
Is skrúfjárn a compound word?
Yes! It literally translates to 'screw-iron'. Skrúfa means screw, and járn means iron. Many tools in Icelandic are named in this descriptive way.
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