Í boðinu stendur að við hittumst klukkan sjö.

The invitation says that we meet at seven o’clock.

Breakdown of Í boðinu stendur að við hittumst klukkan sjö.

• við: we
• í: in
• sjö: seven
• að: that

Questions & Answers about Í boðinu stendur að við hittumst klukkan sjö.

Why does í take boðinu in that form? What case is it?

Here í means in/inside (a location), so it governs the dative case.

• boð = an invitation / an offer (neuter noun)
• boðinu = dative singular definite (the invitation)
  So í boðinu literally means in the invitation.
  (If it were motion into something, í would usually take the accusative.)

What exactly is boðinu built from?

It’s one word made of:

• stem: boð-
• the dative singular ending for many neuter nouns: -i
• the attached definite article in the dative singular neuter: -nu

So: boð + i + nu → boðinu = in the invitation.

Why is the verb standa used in Í boðinu stendur...? Doesn’t it mean to stand?

Yes, standa literally means to stand, but Icelandic often uses it idiomatically the way English uses it says / it states when referring to written text.

• Í boðinu stendur að... = In the invitation it says/states that...

It’s a very normal, common phrasing for anything written: invitations, letters, notices, instructions, etc.

Where is the subject in Í boðinu stendur að...? What is “standing”?