Log inSign up

Samkenndin hjálpar öllum.

Samkenndin hjálpar öllum.
The compassion helps everyone.
From Lesson 163:Indefinite pronouns in the dative (öllum, einhverjum, engum)·Icelandic

Questions & Answers about Samkenndin hjálpar öllum.

Why is the word for "everyone" in the dative case (öllum) here?
The verb hjálpa (to help) always forces the person receiving the help into the dative case. Because of this, the pronoun allur (all/everyone) changes to its dative form, öllum.
If öllum is plural, why does the English translation use the singular word "everyone"?
In English, "everyone" is grammatically singular. But in Icelandic, to say "everyone" you usually use the plural form of allur to mean "all people". So the sentence is literally saying "The compassion helps all."
If I wanted to say "compassion helps no one" or "compassion helps someone", how would I use the dative case?
Because hjálpar requires the dative, you would use the dative forms of those pronouns. "No one" becomes engum (Samkenndin hjálpar engum), and "someone" becomes einhverjum (Samkenndin hjálpar einhverjum).
How is the subject samkenndin built?
It is made up of the prefix sam- (meaning "together") and kennd (meaning "feeling"). The -in at the end is the feminine definite article "the". Put together, it literally means "the shared feeling" or compassion.

Learn Samkenndin hjálpar öllum 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
Start learning Icelandic →