Word
Við höfnum öðrum rökum.
Meaning
We reject other arguments.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Við höfnum öðrum rökum.
við
we
annar
other, another; second
hafna
to reject
rökin
the arguments
Questions & Answers about Við höfnum öðrum rökum.
Why are the words öðrum rökum in the dative case here?
Because of the verb! The verb hafna (to reject) always requires its object to be in the dative case. It forces both the pronoun (öðrum) and the noun (rökum) to take dative endings instead of the standard accusative case you might expect for a direct object.
How does the base word annar (other) turn into öðrum?
Since rökum is a dative plural noun, the pronoun for "other" must match it. The dative plural form of annar is öðrum. Notice the vowel change at the beginning: the -um ending triggers a "U-shift," changing the expected A to an Ö.
What is the singular form of rökum?
There actually isn't one in this context! The base word is rök (arguments, grounds, or reasoning), which is a neuter noun that is almost exclusively used in the plural. When we add the standard dative plural ending -um, it becomes rökum.
Why is the verb spelled höfnum instead of hafnum?