Questions & Answers about Í skápnum er líka ilmur af nýjum kertum.
Why does the sentence start with Í skápnum instead of Það er líka ilmur...?
Icelandic often puts a place phrase first to set the scene. When you front something like Í skápnum (In the cupboard), the verb typically comes next: Í skápnum er...
English often uses a dummy subject (There is...), but Icelandic doesn’t need one here. You can also say Það er líka ilmur af nýjum kertum í skápnum, but the given version is very natural.
Why is it skápnum and not skápi or skápurinn?
Because of two things:
1) í (in) normally takes the dative when it indicates location (not movement).
2) -num is the definite article attached to the noun in the dative singular.
So:
- skápu-r = cupboard (nominative, definite: skápu-rinn)
- skápi = cupboard (dative, indefinite)
- skápnum = in the cupboard (dative + definite)
How do I know í takes dative here?
Many Icelandic prepositions change case depending on meaning:
- í + dative = location (in/at a place): Í skápnum = in the cupboard
- í + accusative = motion into (into a place): Í skápinn = into the cupboard
So this sentence describes where the smell is, not movement.
Why is it (singular) and not ?