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Ég kveiki á útvarpinu á morgnana.

Ég kveiki á útvarpinu á morgnana.
I turn on the radio in the mornings.
FromLesson 10inHardcore Icelandic

Breakdown of Ég kveiki á útvarpinu á morgnana.

ég
I
kveikja á
to turn on
útvarpið
the radio
á morgnana
in the mornings

Questions & Answers about Ég kveiki á útvarpinu á morgnana.

What does kveiki á mean in this sentence?
kveiki is the first-person singular present of kveikja (“to spark/light”). When you add the preposition á, you get the phrasal verb kveikja á, which means “to turn on” (an electrical device).
Why is útvarpinu in the dative case, and why does it end with -inu?
The preposition á in the verb phrase kveikja á governs the dative. In Icelandic, the definite article is suffixed to the noun rather than placed before it. útvarp is a neuter noun. Its nominative/accusative definite form is útvarpið, but in the dative singular it becomes útvarpinu (neuter + -inu).
What case is morgnana, and why do we say á morgnana instead of another form?
á morgnana is the standard, idiomatic way to say “in the mornings”. Here morgnana is the accusative plural of morgunn with a slight irregular twist. á + accusative-plural expressions signal habitual or repeated actions. You will also hear á morgnunum (dative plural definite), but á morgnana is more colloquial and extremely common.
Can I move á morgnana to another position in the sentence?

Yes. Icelandic word order is relatively flexible. If you want to emphasize the time, you can front it:
Á morgnana kveiki ég á útvarpinu.
The neutral order remains: Ég kveiki á útvarpinu á morgnana.

Is the subject pronoun ég mandatory?

No. The verb ending -i already marks first-person singular, so you could say:
Kveiki á útvarpinu á morgnana.
However, using ég is common for clarity or emphasis, especially in speech.

How do I say “I turn off the radio” in Icelandic?

Use the opposite phrasal verb slökkva á with a dative object:
Ég slökkva á útvarpinu (present)
or
Ég slökkti á útvarpinu (past).

Are there other verbs like kveikja á that take á + dative?

Yes. Many Icelandic verbs for operating devices or playing media follow the same pattern, for example:

  • slökkva á (“to turn off”)
  • stinga á (“to plug in” or colloquially “to switch on”)
  • setja á (“to put on” / “to play” music, radio, etc.)
    All of these take a dative object after á.
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