Í skápnum er líka ilmur af nýjum kertum.

In the cabinet there is also a scent of new candles.

Breakdown of Í skápnum er líka ilmur af nýjum kertum.

• vera: to be
• líka: also
• í: in
• nýr: new
• af: of
• skápurinn: the cabinet
• kertið: the candle
• ilmurinn: the scent

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 er (singular) and not eru?

The grammatical subject is ilmur (singular), so the verb is singular: er.
Even though the sentence begins with Í skápnum, that’s just an adverbial phrase; it doesn’t control verb agreement.

What exactly is ilmur grammatically, and why doesn’t it have an article?

ilmur is a masculine noun meaning smell/scent. It appears indefinite here (no attached article), roughly like English a smell / some scent.
If you meant the smell, you’d typically use the definite form: ilmurinn (nominative), e.g. Í skápnum er líka ilmurinn af nýjum kertum (context-dependent).

Why do we use af here? Does it mean “of” or “from”?

af can mean both of and from, depending on context. With nouns like ilmur (smell), af commonly marks the source of the smell:

• ilmur af nýjum kertum = a smell/scent of (from) new candles

It’s a very standard Icelandic pattern: lykt/ilmur af X.

What case does af take, and how can I tell?

af governs the dative. You can tell because nýjum is the dative plural form of nýr (new), agreeing with kertum (also dative plural).
So the whole phrase af nýjum kertum is in the dative.

Why is it nýjum kertum and not nýjar kerti or ný ný kerti?

Because of agreement and case:

• kerti is a neuter noun; plural kerti (nominative/accusative) but kertum in dative.
• The adjective must match gender + number + case. Dative plural (all genders) is often -um, so nýjum.

So:

• nominative/accusative plural: ný kerti
• dative plural: nýjum kertum

Why is the noun kerti plural kerti in some cases but kertum here?

Neuter nouns often have:

• plural nominative/accusative: kerti
• plural dative: kertum
• plural genitive: kerta

Since af requires the dative, you get kertum.

What does líka modify, and where can it go in the sentence?

líka means also/too. In this sentence, it most naturally means: in addition to other things in the cupboard, there is also a scent...
Word order is flexible; common placements include:

• Í skápnum er líka ilmur af nýjum kertum. (given)
• Í skápnum er ilmur af nýjum kertum líka. (more like “...too”, often referring back to something specific)
• Líka er ilmur af nýjum kertum í skápnum. (more emphatic, a bit marked)

Is Í skápnum pronounced any special way (stress/length)?

A few key points:

• Stress in Icelandic is usually on the first syllable: SKÁP-num, IL-mur, KÉR-tum.
• í is a long vowel [iː].
• á in skáp- is a diphthong-like sound [au] (roughly).
• rt in kertum is pronounced with a clear t; Icelandic consonants are generally crisp.

Could I replace ilmur with lykt? What changes?

Yes, both can mean smell/scent, but the nuance differs:

• ilmur often suggests a pleasant fragrance.
• lykt can be neutral and is often used for smell/odor in general (including bad smells).

Grammar stays similar:

• Í skápnum er líka lykt af nýjum kertum. (still correct; lykt is feminine but remains singular, so er stays the same)

If I wanted to say “new candle scent” more like a compound, can Icelandic do that?

Yes. Icelandic often uses compounds or genitives, but with smells the af + dative pattern is very common and idiomatic. Alternatives (more stylistic/contextual) might be:

• kertailmur = candle scent (compound; can sound a bit general)
• ilmur af kertum = scent of candles (more general)
• ilmur af nýjum kertum = scent of new candles (your sentence; very natural)