Log inSign up

Röðin í matvöruversluninni var löng á föstudag, svo ég fór heim.

Röðin í matvöruversluninni var löng á föstudag, svo ég fór heim.
The line in the grocery store was long on Friday, so I went home.

Breakdown of Röðin í matvöruversluninni var löng á föstudag, svo ég fór heim.

ég
I
vera
to be
fara
to go
á
on
í
in
heim
home
svo
so
langur
long
matvöruverslunin
the grocery store
föstudagurinn
Friday
röðin
the line
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Icelandic grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Icelandic now

Questions & Answers about Röðin í matvöruversluninni var löng á föstudag, svo ég fór heim.

Why does röð appear as Röðin?

Röðin is röð (line/queue) with the definite article attached as a suffix: röð + -in → röðin = the line.
It’s also in the nominative singular because it’s the subject of the clause (Röðin … var …).

How do I know Röðin is feminine, and does that matter here?

Röð is feminine. Gender matters because it affects:

  • the definite ending: feminine nominative singular often uses -in (as in röðin)
  • adjective agreement: löng is feminine nominative singular to match röðin
What does í matvöruversluninni mean grammatically, and why does the noun end in -inni?

í can govern either:

  • accusative (movement into), or
  • dative (location in/inside)

Here it’s location, so it takes dative: í …-inni = in the (specific) grocery store.
matvöruversluninni is matvöruverslun + definite dative singular ending -inni.

Why is it the store (-inni) but also the line (-in)? Is Icelandic always this “double definite”?

It’s not “double definite” like in some languages; it’s simply that both nouns are made definite because the speaker is referring to specific things:

  • Röðin = the line
  • matvöruversluninni = the grocery store (that we’re talking about)

You could make one or both indefinite depending on context, e.g.:

  • Röð í matvöruverslun var löng = a line in a grocery store was long (more general/less natural as a standalone)
Can you break down the compound word matvöruverslun?

Yes—it's a common Icelandic compound:

  • mat- = food
  • vöru- = goods/products (genitive/plural sense used in compounds)
  • verslun = store/shop

So matvöruverslun literally ≈ food-goods-store → grocery store.

Why is the verb var used here, and what tense is it?

var is the past tense (preterite) of vera (to be).
So Röðin … var löng = The line was long.

Present would be:

  • Röðin … er löng = The line is long.
Why is the adjective löng and not langur or langt?

Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

  • röð is feminine singular nominative
  • therefore the adjective is feminine singular nominative: löng

The base adjective is typically listed as langur (masc.), with forms:

  • masculine: langur
  • feminine: löng
  • neuter: langt
Why does it say á föstudag and not á föstudaginn?

Both exist, with a nuance:

  • á föstudag = on Friday (often general/at-a-time reference; very common)
  • á föstudaginn = on the Friday / this past/that specific Friday (more explicitly definite)

In everyday speech, á föstudag is often used even when you mean a specific recent Friday, but -inn makes the specificity clearer.

What does svo do here, and is it the same as “so” in English?

Here svo functions as a conjunction meaning so / therefore, linking cause → result:

  • …, svo ég fór heim. = …, so I went home.

svo can also mean then in other contexts, but in this sentence it’s the causal so.

Does the word order change after svo? Why is it svo ég fór and not svo fór ég?

Both can be possible depending on style and structure, but here svo is used like a coordinating conjunction, so the next clause often keeps normal word order:

  • svo ég fór heim (subject + verb)

If you start a new sentence or want a slightly different emphasis, you may also see:

  • Svo fór ég heim. = So then I went home. (often “then/so” as an adverb-like starter)
Why is fór used, and what verb is it from?

fór is the past tense of fara (to go / to travel):

  • present: ég fer = I go
  • past: ég fór = I went

So ég fór heim = I went home.

Why is it just heim with no preposition—why not something like “to home”?

In Icelandic, heim works as an adverb meaning home (wards), similar to English go home (also no preposition).
So you say:

  • fara heim = go home
    Whereas heima is the “at home” form:
  • vera heima = be at home
Any pronunciation pitfalls in this sentence for an English speaker?

A few common ones:

  • ð in föstudag is like a soft “th” in this (but can be very light)
  • ö in Röðin / löng is a rounded vowel (not like English “o”)
  • Stress is usually on the first syllable: RÖ-ðin, MAT-vöru-verslun-inni, FÖS-tu-dag
  • ll/nn spelling doesn’t automatically mean English-style “clear L”; focus more on vowels and the rhythm first.