Breakdown of Ég mæli með málbandinu og mála vegginn með penslinum.
og
and
ég
I
veggurinn
the wall
mála
to paint
með
with
mæla
to measure
málbandið
the measuring tape
pensillinn
the paintbrush
Questions & Answers about Ég mæli með málbandinu og mála vegginn með penslinum.
Why are the tools málbandinu and penslinum in the dative case here?
They follow the preposition með. When með is used to show the tool or instrument you are using to do a task, the noun that follows it must take the dative case.
I learned that mæla með means 'to recommend'. Why does it mean 'measure with' here?
You are right that að mæla með often means 'to recommend'. However, the verb mæla literally means 'to measure'. Because the sentence explicitly involves a measuring tape (málbandinu), the context makes it clear that með is just acting as the preposition for using a tool, rather than the fixed phrase for recommending.
Why does pensill (paintbrush) change to penslinum? Where did the second 'i' go?
Why is vegginn in the accusative case when the tools are dative?
Vegginn is the direct object of the verb mála because it is the thing being painted. It is not being used as a tool and does not follow the preposition með, so it takes the standard accusative case used for direct objects.
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