Haukur Þorgeirsson <haukurth@...> wrote:

> "Mér líkar hvorugt" would be correct and idiomatic

But does anyone ever say "mér líkar"? I don't - it
feels like a bad translation of the English idiom.
(How old is this expression in the language anyway?)
I don't think I ever use "líka", except perhaps
occasionally in "mér líkar vel/illa VIÐ einhvern",
but "ég kann vel/illa við" comes more natural to me.
I would never, ever say "mér líkar hann".

> 3. ?Mér finnast grauturinn og súpan góð.
>
> This is very awkard.

Really? It is quite correct. Actually, I
think it would be better to say "Mér finnast
súpan og grauturinn góð", because that takes
away the feeling that "góð" is fem. sing. and
makes it absolutely neut. plur.

> 4. *Mér finnast kanínur og hundar góð.
>
> I just can't say that. Maybe some people can but I can't. There

doesn't

> appear to be any way out, this is definitely wrong too:
>
> 5. *Mér finnast kanínur og hundar góðir.
>
> Why can't I say "I like rabbits and dogs" in my native language?

Eysteinn?

The big question here is: what does it mean? If
I want to say I like eating them, I would say:
"Mér finnst hunda- og kanínukjöt gott." If I'm
saying I like them alive, I would say "hundar og
kanínur eru mér að skapi" or something of that sort.
I would never us "líka" to express a fondness for
certain types of animal.

Some things can only be said in Icelandic ("nenna",
"hundslappadrífa", "duglegur", etc.) - others are
very hard to express, especially feelings: the verbs
"love" and "feel" are very problematic in translation
...

E.