Breakdown of Góðgerðarstarfið gagnast öllum.
allur
all / everything / everyone
góðgerðarstarfið
the charity work
gagnast
to benefit
Questions & Answers about Góðgerðarstarfið gagnast öllum.
Why is "everyone" translated as öllum here instead of the nominative allir?
The verb gagnast (to benefit / be of use to) requires the object receiving the benefit to be in the dative case. Öllum is the dative plural form of the indefinite pronoun allur. When used on its own in the plural like this, it means "everyone" or "all people".
Why does the verb gagnast end in -st?
The -st ending shows that this is a middle voice verb. In Icelandic, adding -st to a verb can make it reflexive, passive, or give it a slightly different meaning. Here, the base verb is að gagna (to be of use), and the middle voice form að gagnast means "to benefit" or "come in handy for".
How is the compound word góðgerðarstarfið built?
It is made up of góðgerð (charity or good deed) and starfið (the work). The -ar in the middle is the genitive (possessive) ending of góðgerð, acting as a connecting glue to stick the words together into "the work of charity".
Why is the definite article attached to the very end of góðgerðarstarfið?
In Icelandic, the definite article ("the") is added as a suffix rather than being a separate word. Starf means "work", and starfið means "the work". Even in long compound words, the article only ever attaches to the very end of the final noun.
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