Ég borða kvöldmaturinn.

I eat the dinner.

Breakdown of Ég borða kvöldmaturinn.

• ég: I
• borða: to eat
• kvöldmaturinn: the dinner

Questions & Answers about Ég borða kvöldmaturinn.

What role does the suffix -inn play in kvöldmaturinn?

The suffix -inn is the definite article in Icelandic. Unlike English (the dinner), Icelandic attaches the article to the end of the noun.

• kvöldmatur = “dinner” (indefinite)
• kvöldmatur-inn = “the dinner” (definite)

How would you say “dinner” in an indefinite sense?

You drop the -inn suffix:

• kvöldmatur = “(a) dinner” or simply “dinner” without specifying it’s “the” one.

Why doesn’t kvöldmaturinn show a different ending for the accusative case?

Icelandic nouns have case endings, but masculine nouns in the singular often have the same form for nominative and accusative. Here:

• Nominative sg. (subject): kvöldmatur
  • definite -inn → kvöldmaturinn
• Accusative sg. (object): kvöldmatur
  • definite -inn → kvöldmaturinn

The only marker you see is the definite suffix -inn.

Why is kvöldmaturinn in the accusative case here?

Because it’s the direct object of the verb borða (“to eat”). Verbs like borða govern the accusative for their objects. Word order (S-V-O) also signals that kvöldmaturinn is acted upon, not the doer.

Why does the verb borða end in -a in “Ég borða…”?

That’s the present tense 1st person singular ending for this verb class. borða is a strong verb with these present-tense forms:

• ég borða
• þú borðar
• hann/hún/það borðar
• við borðum
• þið borðið
• þeir/þær/þau borða

Can you omit the pronoun ég in this sentence?

Icelandic is somewhat pro-drop, but in main clauses you usually include the subject pronoun for clarity and to satisfy the V2 (verb-second) rule. Informally, you might hear:

• Borða kvöldmatinn.
  but that feels abrupt. Including ég (“I”) is standard: Ég borða kvöldmaturinn.

How would you say “I ate dinner” in Icelandic?

Use the past (preterite) form borðaði:

• Ég borðaði kvöldmatinn.
  Here borðaði is the 1st person singular past of borða.

How do you express “I am eating dinner” (continuous aspect)?

Icelandic uses vera + að + infinitive to show an ongoing action:

• Ég er að borða kvöldmatinn.
  Literally “I am at eating the dinner.”

How do you pronounce “Ég borða kvöldmaturinn.”?

Approximate IPA transcription:
/ jɛːɣ ˈpɔrða ˈkʰvœlmaˌtʏrɪn /
Tips:

• ð in borða is a voiced dental fricative [ð].
• The d in kvöld is silent, so you hear something close to [kʰvœl].
• Stress falls on the first syllable of each main word: ÉG BÓRða KVÖLDmaTÚRinn.