Ég geymi bankakortið í vasanum.

I keep the bank card in the pocket.

Breakdown of Ég geymi bankakortið í vasanum.

• ég: I
• vasinn: the pocket
• geyma: to keep
• bankakortið: the bank card
• í: to/into

Questions & Answers about Ég geymi bankakortið í vasanum.

Why is the sentence written Ég geymi...—can I drop Ég (I) like in Spanish/Italian?

In Icelandic you normally keep the subject pronoun, even though the verb ending already shows the person. So Ég geymi... is the standard, natural way. Dropping ég is possible in some contexts (especially informal speech, diaries, notes, or when the subject is very obvious), but it’s not the default.

What does the verb geyma mean exactly, and how is geymi formed?

Geyma means to store/keep/save (something in a place)—often implying you put something away somewhere.
geymi is the present tense, 1st person singular form:

• infinitive: að geyma
• present: ég geymi, þú geymir, hann/hún/það geymir, við geymum, þið geymið, þeir/þær/þau geyma

How do I pronounce Ég geymi bankakortið í vasanum?

A rough pronunciation guide (varies by accent):

• Ég: like yeh(g) (the g is often very soft)
• geymi: roughly GAY-mi (with an Icelandic ey diphthong)
• bankakortið: BAN-ka-kor-tið (final ð is like the th in this, often very soft)
• í: like ee (long i)
• vasanum: VA-sa-num (stress on the first syllable, as usual in Icelandic)

Why is bankakortið ending in -ið? What does that mean?

The ending -ið is the definite article attached to the noun, so bankakortið means the bank card. Icelandic doesn’t have a separate word for the in most cases; it’s typically a suffix.

What case is bankakortið here, and how can I tell?

It’s the direct object of geyma, so it’s in the accusative. For many neuter nouns like bankakort, nominative and accusative look the same, so you often tell from the sentence role rather than the form alone.
Paradigm (singular, definite) for a typical neuter like bankakort:

• nominative: bankakortið
• accusative: bankakortið
• dative: bankakortinu
• genitive: bankakortsins

Why is it í vasanum and not just í vasa?

Both can be correct but they mean slightly different things:

• í vasanum = in the pocket (a specific pocket, or the pocket in the current context—often your pocket)
• í vasa = in a pocket (more indefinite/generic)

Why does vasanum end in -num?

Because after í (in/into), Icelandic uses:

• dative for location (in/at, not moving)
• accusative for motion (into, movement toward)

Here it’s location (the card is already there), so vasanum is dative definite singular of vasi (pocket). The -num is a common dative definite ending for masculine nouns.

So what would change if I meant “I put the bank card into the pocket” (movement)?

Then you would use accusative after í:

• Ég set bankakortið í vasann. = I put the bank card into the pocket.
  Here vasann is accusative definite singular (motion into).

What is the base form of vasanum and how does it decline?

The dictionary form is vasi (masculine). A common singular pattern is:

• nominative: vasi / definite vasinn
• accusative: vasa / definite vasann
• dative: vasa / definite vasanum
• genitive: vasa / definite vasans
  (There are variations across nouns, but this is a typical masculine pattern.)

Is bankakort a compound word? How do Icelandic compounds work here?

Yes: banka-kort = bank + card. Icelandic forms compounds very freely, and the last part (kort) is the “head” (it tells you it’s a type of card). The first part (banka-) specifies what kind.

Why is the word order Ég geymi bankakortið í vasanum—could I move the location phrase?

The given order is very natural: Subject – Verb – Object – Place.
You can move the place phrase for emphasis:

• Ég geymi bankakortið í vasanum. (neutral)
• Í vasanum geymi ég bankakortið. (emphasizes in the pocket)
  But note that when a phrase comes first, Icelandic often keeps verb-second structure in main clauses.

How would I say “I keep my bank card in my pocket” more explicitly?

Common options:

• Ég geymi bankakortið í vasanum mínum. = in my pocket (explicit)
• Ég geymi bankakortið í vasanum. often already implies “my pocket” from context, so the possessive is frequently omitted unless you need contrast or clarity.

Is geyma the best verb here, or could I use something else?

Geyma is good if you mean store/keep (in a specific place). Depending on nuance, you might also hear:

• Ég er með bankakortið í vasanum. = I have the bank card in my pocket (very common, focuses on “having it on me”)
• Ég held bankakortinu í vasanum is less idiomatic for this meaning; halda tends to mean hold (in your hand) or keep/maintain in other senses.