Ég hleyp í garðinum eftir vinnu.

I run in the garden after work.

Breakdown of Ég hleyp í garðinum eftir vinnu.

• ég: I
• vinnan: the work
• í: in
• eftir: after

Questions & Answers about Ég hleyp í garðinum eftir vinnu.

What is the verb form in Ég hleyp, and what’s the infinitive?

The verb is the 1st person singular present of að hlaupa (to run). So:

• Infinitive: að hlaupa
• 1st person singular present: ég hleyp A couple of useful other forms:
• 3rd person singular present: hleypur
• 1st person plural present: hlaupum
• Past (1st person singular): ég hljóp
• Past (3rd person plural): þeir/þær/þau hlupu

Why is it í garðinum (dative) and not í garðinn (accusative)?

Because í + dative expresses location (being “in” a place), while í + accusative expresses movement into a place. Here you mean you run within the garden, so it’s dative: í garðinum. If you mean you run into it, use accusative: í garðinn (often with “inn”: inn í garðinn).

What exactly is garðinum morphologically?

It’s the dative singular definite of garður (garden/yard).

• Base noun: garður (nom. sg.)
• Dative singular: garði
• Add the definite article: garðinum (“in the garden”) So: garð-i-num.

How would I say “I run into the garden after work”?

Use directional accusative (and optionally a directional adverb):

• Ég hleyp í garðinn eftir vinnu.
• Ég hleyp inn í garðinn eftir vinnu. (inn emphasizes “into”)

Could I use á instead of í here?