segja til syndanna

Icelandic edit

Etymology edit

From segja (to tell, to say) and til (to) and syndanna (to the sins) genitive plural form of synd (a sin) with a definite article. Literally meaning "to tell to the sins".

Verb edit

segja til syndanna (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative sagði til syndanna, supine sagt til syndanna)

  1. (idiomatic, transitive, governs the dative) to lecture, to give a good talking to, to give somebody a thorough talking-to
    Ég ætti að segja honum til syndanna!
    I should give him a thorough talking-to!
    segja einhverjum til syndanna.
    To give somebody a good talking-to.
    Amma sagði mér svo sannarlega til syndanna þegar ég braut vasann.
    Grandma sure gave me a stern talking-to when I broke the vase.

Synonyms edit

See also edit