Questions & Answers about Ég vel annan lit fyrir herbergið.
What does vel mean here, and how is it related to velja?
The verb velja means “to choose.” In the present tense first-person singular it becomes (ég) vel, so Ég vel literally means “I choose.”
Can you omit ég in Icelandic?
Yes. Icelandic is a pro-drop language, meaning the subject pronoun can be left out because the verb ending -l in vel already signals first-person singular. You could simply say Vel annan lit fyrir herbergið.
Why is it annan lit instead of annar litur?
Because lit (“color”) is the direct object, it must be in the accusative case. The accusative singular of litur is lit (dropping the -ur). The adjective annarr (“another”) must agree: masculine accusative singular is annann. Hence annan lit.
What gender and case is lit in this sentence?
“Lit” is a masculine noun. Since it’s the object of the verb, it’s in the accusative singular, and the ending is simply -t (accusative of litur).
Why are there two n’s in annann?