Questions & Answers about Ég tek af mér úlpuna áður en ég fer inn.
Why does Icelandic use af mér (literally off me) to mean take off (clothing)?
In Icelandic, taka af sér is a very common fixed expression meaning to take off (something you’re wearing). It’s built as:
- taka = take
- af = off
- sér (here mér) = oneself (reflexive pronoun)
So Ég tek af mér úlpuna is literally I take the coat off (of) myself, i.e. I take off my coat.
Why is it mér and not mig?
Because the reflexive pronoun used with af is in the dative here. The preposition af typically governs the dative in Icelandic, so the reflexive pronoun becomes:
- ég → mér (dative)
That’s why you say af mér, not af mig.
What’s the dictionary form of tek?
tek is the 1st person singular present tense of taka (to take).
Present tense forms you might see:
- ég tek
- þú tekur
- hann/hún/það tekur
- við tökum
- þið takið
- þeir/þær/þau taka
Why is the coat úlpuna and not úlpa?