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Ég set servíettur á borðið líka.

Ég set servíettur á borðið líka.
I put napkins on the table too.

Breakdown of Ég set servíettur á borðið líka.

ég
I
líka
too
borðið
the table
setja
to put
á
on
servíettan
the napkin
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Questions & Answers about Ég set servíettur á borðið líka.

Why is set used here, and what verb is it from?

set is the 1st person singular present tense form of the verb setja (to put / to place).
So Ég set ... literally means I put ... (habitually or right now, depending on context).
Conjugation snippet (present):

  • ég set
  • þú setur
  • hann/hún/það setur
  • við setjum
  • þið setjið
  • þeir/þær/þau setja
Why does it say Ég? Can Icelandic drop the subject pronoun like Spanish?

Icelandic generally does not drop subject pronouns in normal modern usage. You usually say Ég set... rather than just Set...
You can omit ég in certain contexts (like very informal notes, instructions, diary style, or when the subject is extremely obvious), but it’s not the default.

Why is it servíettur and not servíettar or servíettunum?

Because servíettur here is the direct object of setja, and with setja the object is typically in the accusative case.
servíetta is a feminine noun; its plural forms include:

  • servíettur = accusative plural (also happens to match nominative plural for many feminine nouns)
  • servíettar = commonly nominative/accusative? (for many feminine nouns, -ar is nominative plural; here the form used is -ur, which is the standard plural for this noun)
  • servíettunum = dative plural definite (the napkins), used if something in the sentence required dative and definiteness

In this sentence it’s indefinite plural (napkins, not the napkins) and in the object position expected by the verb, so you get servíettur.

Is servíetta a common word? Are there more “native” alternatives?

servíetta is a common everyday word and is a loanword (similar to English serviette).
A very common alternative is munnþurrka (literally mouth-wipe), especially for paper napkins. In the plural accusative you might see munnþurrkur.

Why is it á borðið and not á borðinu?

Because á changes meaning with case:

  • á + accusative often expresses movement / putting something onto a surface: á borðið = onto the table
  • á + dative often expresses location / being on a surface: á borðinu = on the table

Since setja involves placing something onto the table, Icelandic uses accusative: á borðið.

What is the base form of borðið, and why does it end in -ið?

The base noun is borð (table).
borðið is the table (definite form), and -ið is the neuter singular definite article suffix attached to the noun:

  • borð = a table / table
  • borðið = the table

Icelandic usually expresses the by attaching it to the end of the noun (rather than using a separate word like English the).

Could I also say Ég set servíettur á borð without the -ið?

Yes, and it changes the nuance slightly:

  • á borðið = onto the table (a specific table, or the relevant one in the situation)
  • á borð = onto a table / onto table (more general, less specific)

In many everyday contexts, speakers often prefer the definite form borðið when the table is understood from context.

Where does líka go in the sentence? Could it be placed elsewhere?

líka means also/too and is fairly flexible, but its position can shift what it emphasizes. Common placements include:

  • Ég set servíettur á borðið líka. = I put napkins on the table too. (often “in addition to something else I put there”)
  • Ég set líka servíettur á borðið. = I also put napkins on the table. (emphasis: napkins are an additional item)
  • Ég set servíettur líka á borðið. = I put napkins on the table as well. (can emphasize the location as an additional place, depending on context)

Your version with líka at the end is very natural.

Does Icelandic have a direct equivalent of English too at the end of the sentence?

Yes—líka often functions exactly like sentence-final English too:

  • Ég kem líka. = I’m coming too.
  • Ég set servíettur á borðið líka. = I put napkins on the table too.
What pronunciation points should I watch in Ég set servíettur á borðið líka?

A few common learner points:

  • Ég: the g is often soft; many speakers pronounce it close to yeh/eh depending on accent and context.
  • servíettur: stress is on the first syllable: SER-...
  • á: pronounced like English ow in now (a long á sound).
  • borðið: ð is not like English d; it’s a voiced “th”-like sound (as in this), and it can be very soft in rapid speech.
  • líka: stress on the first syllable: LEE-ka (long í sound).
If I wanted to say “I’m putting the napkins on the table too” (definite the napkins), what would change?

You’d make servíettur definite. One common way is:

  • Ég set servíetturnar á borðið líka. = I’m putting the napkins on the table too.

Here servíetturnar is the definite accusative plural (“the napkins”) used as the direct object.

Is the word order always Ég + verb + object + ... in Icelandic?

Main clauses in Icelandic are typically verb-second (V2): the finite verb (here set) tends to appear in the second position.
With Ég first, you naturally get:

  • Ég (1st position) + set (2nd position) + the rest

But you can move other elements to the front for emphasis, and the verb still tends to stay second:

  • Á borðið set ég servíettur líka. (fronting the location for emphasis)