Ég set fötin í skápinn.

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Breakdown of Ég set fötin í skápinn.

• setja: to put
• í: in
• fötin: the clothes

Questions & Answers about Ég set fötin í skápinn.

Why isn’t there a separate word for the before fötin and skápinn?

Icelandic doesn’t use a standalone article like English the. Instead, definiteness is marked by a suffix on the noun itself.

• fötin = “the clothes” (föt + in)
• skápinn = “the closet” (skápur + inn)

What’s the difference between föt and fötin?

• föt is the indefinite plural form “(some) clothes.”
• fötin adds the definite plural ending -in, turning it into “the clothes.”
  Use the indefinite form when you mean clothes in general, and the definite form when you have specific clothes in mind.

What case is fötin in, and how can I tell?

Here it’s the accusative plural (direct object of setja “to put”). In neuter nouns like föt the nominative and accusative look identical, but you know it’s accusative because it’s what you’re putting. If you’re unsure, ask “what are you putting?” – the answer is fötin.

Why does skápinn end with -inn, and what case is it?

skápinn is the accusative singular definite form of (“closet”).