Learn Hardcore Icelandic: Við setjum matinn sem er eftir í ísskápinn. - We put the food that is left into the refrigerator.

1st person plural, present tense: við setjum = we put / we are putting.
Icelandic doesn’t have a separate continuous tense like English, so við setjum can mean both we put (habitually) and we are putting (right now), depending on context.

Why is it matinn and not matur or maturinn?

The base noun is matur (food) and it’s masculine. In this sentence it appears as:

matinn = the food in the accusative singular, definite.

Rough pattern:

Nominative: matur – food (subject form)
Accusative: mat – food (object form)
Definite nominative: maturinn – the food (as subject)
Definite accusative: matinn – the food (as object) ← used here

Because matinn is the direct object of setjum (we put what? the food), it has to be accusative.

What does sem er eftir literally mean, and why isn’t it just “that is after”?

Literally, sem er eftir could be broken down as:

sem – that/which (relative pronoun)
er – is
eftir – after / remaining

In this structure, vera eftir means “to be left / to remain”, not “to be after in time.”
So maturinn sem er eftir = the food that is left / the food that remains.

Think of eftir here as remaining, not after in the time sense.

Could you also say matinn sem eftir er instead of matinn sem er eftir?

Yes. Both are possible:

matinn sem er eftir
matinn sem eftir er

They mean the same thing: the food that is left / remaining.
Both word orders are acceptable in Icelandic. Learners usually meet sem er eftir first, but you should be able to recognize both.

What exactly is sem doing in this sentence?

Sem is a relative pronoun here. It introduces a clause that describes matinn:

matinn sem er eftir = the food *that is left*

So sem is functioning like English that/which/who in a relative clause:

maðurinn sem kom – the man who came
bókin sem ég las – the book that I read
maturinn sem er eftir – the food that is left

Why is the preposition í used, and why does it take ísskápinn in this form?

Í means in / into. It can take either the dative or accusative, depending on meaning:

Dative: location (where something is) – í ísskápnum = in the fridge
Accusative: movement into (where something is going) – í ísskápinn = into the fridge

In við setjum matinn … í ísskápinn, there’s clear movement into the fridge, so í takes the accusative, and ísskápur appears as ísskápinn (accusative singular definite).

Why does it look like í is repeated in í ísskápinn?

It’s just a coincidence of spelling:

The first í is the preposition: í = in/into.
The second í is the first letter of the noun ísskápur (fridge).

So í ísskápinn is “into the fridge”, not “in in-fridge”.
In speech, there will be a little pause or continuous flow, but you still pronounce both í sounds.

What form of the noun is ísskápinn, and what is the base word?

The base word is ísskápur – literally ice-cupboard, i.e. a fridge.

In the sentence, we have:

ísskápinn = the fridge in accusative singular, definite.

Rough pattern:

Nominative: ísskápur – fridge
Accusative: ísskáp – fridge (object form)
Definite nominative: ísskápurinn – the fridge (as subject)
Definite accusative: ísskápinn – the fridge (as object) ← used after í here because of movement into.

Can I change the word order, like Við setjum matinn í ísskápinn sem er eftir?

That change actually alters the meaning:

Við setjum matinn sem er eftir í ísskápinn.
= We put the food that is left into the fridge.
(sem er eftir describes matinn.)
Við setjum matinn í ísskápinn sem er eftir.
= We put the food into the fridge that is left.
(sem er eftir would then describe ísskápinn, suggesting “the fridge that is left / the remaining fridge,” which is odd.)

So the original word order is important to show that “is left” refers to the food, not the fridge.

Why do we need the subject við? Can Icelandic drop the subject like Spanish or Italian?

No, modern Icelandic is generally not a “null subject” (pro‑drop) language.
You normally must include the subject pronoun:

Við setjum matinn… – We put the food… ✔
Setjum matinn… – sounds incomplete in normal speech ✖

There are some special imperative or very colloquial cases where the subject might be left out, but for normal present‑tense statements, you keep the pronoun.

Is there a difference between við setjum matinn… and við erum að setja matinn…?

Yes, there is a nuance:

Við setjum matinn í ísskápinn.
Neutral present – can mean we put / we are putting; context decides.
Við erum að setja matinn í ísskápinn.
This construction (vera að + infinitive) is often used to emphasize an ongoing action, similar to English we are putting the food in the fridge (right now).

Both are correct; the simple present is more common and flexible.

Does við setjum imply a one‑time action or a repeated habit?

It can mean either:

One-time, current situation:
Context: Right now, what are we doing with the leftovers?
– Við setjum matinn sem er eftir í ísskápinn.
We’re putting the food that’s left in the fridge.
Habit / routine:
Context: What do we usually do after dinner?
– Við setjum matinn sem er eftir í ísskápinn.
We put the food that’s left in the fridge.

Icelandic present tense covers both uses; context and adverbs (like “always,” “now”) clarify which is meant.