Ég ákvað að hringja í þig í kvöld.

I

Breakdown of Ég ákvað að hringja í þig í kvöld.

• þig: you
• í kvöld: tonight
• hringja í: to call

Questions & Answers about Ég ákvað að hringja í þig í kvöld.

Why is it hringja í þig and not just hringja þig?

In Icelandic, the verb hringja (“to call/phone”) normally requires the preposition í before the person you call. So you say hringja í einhvern (“call someone”), not hringja einhvern. Without a complement, hringja can mean “to ring” (make a ringing sound), but for calling a person you must use í.

Which case is þig, and why is it used here?

þig is the accusative form of “you” (singular). The prepositional verb hringja í takes the object in the accusative case, so you get í þig. The singular forms of “you” are:

• Nominative: þú (subject)
• Accusative: þig (direct object, and after some prepositions like í here)
• Dative: þér
• Genitive: þín

Can I say hringja til þín instead of hringja í þig?

You’ll hear both, but they’re not equally common or neutral. For calling a person, hringja í þig is the most natural everyday choice. hringja til + genitive (so: til þín) is also used, but more often for calling a place/office/institution (e.g., hringja til læknis “call the doctor’s [office]”) or in some styles/regions. If in doubt when calling a person, use hringja í.

Why is í used twice (í þig and í kvöld)? Do both mean the same “in/to”?