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Í dag fer ég í geymsluna og tek tvo pappakassa.

Í dag fer ég í geymsluna og tek tvo pappakassa.
Today I go to the storage room and take two cardboard boxes.
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Questions & Answers about Í dag fer ég í geymsluna og tek tvo pappakassa.

Why does the sentence start with Í dag (Today), and why is the word order Í dag fer ég... instead of Í dag ég fer...?

Icelandic is a V2 (verb-second) language in main clauses: the finite verb usually comes in the second position.

  • If you start with a time expression like Í dag, that takes the first slot.
  • Then the finite verb comes next: fer
  • Then the subject follows: ég

So:

  • Í dag fer ég ... ✅
  • Í dag ég fer ... ❌ (not normal Icelandic main-clause word order)
What is fer exactly—tense and person—and what verb does it come from?

fer is present tense, 3rd person singular of the verb að fara (to go).

  • ég fer = I go
  • þú ferð = you go
  • hann/hún/það fer = he/she/it goes

Even though the subject is ég, the sentence uses fer because the finite verb is placed early due to V2 word order.

Why is it í geymsluna and not í geymslunni?

Because í changes meaning depending on the case:

  • í + accusative = movement into / direction (to/into)
  • í + dative = location (in)

Here you’re going into the storage room:

  • fer í geymsluna = (go) into the storage room (accusative)

If you were already there:

  • ég er í geymslunni = I am in the storage room (dative)
What does the -na ending in geymsluna mean?

geymsluna = geymsla (storage room) + the definite article attached as a suffix.

  • geymsla = a storage room
  • geymslan = the storage room (nominative)
  • geymsluna = the storage room (accusative)

The -na here signals definite + accusative singular for this feminine noun.

Could I say í geymslu without the definite ending? What’s the difference?

Yes, and it changes the meaning slightly:

  • fer í geymslu = go into a storage room / go into storage (more general/indefinite)
  • fer í geymsluna = go into the storage room (a specific one, known in context)

Icelandic often uses the definite form when the place is specific/expected (like the kitchen, the garage in your home context).

Why does the second verb appear as tek (1st person) if the first verb is fer?

Because the subject is still ég: “Today I go … and (I) take …”

  • fer is from að fara (but placed early due to word order rules)
  • tek is 1st person singular present of að taka (to take)

So:

  • (ég) fer ... og (ég) tek ... The second ég is usually omitted because it’s understood.
Is it normal to drop the subject after og like that?

Yes. When two verbs share the same subject, Icelandic commonly omits the repeated subject:

  • Ég fer ... og tek ... (common)
  • Ég fer ... og ég tek ... (also possible, but more emphatic/heavier)
Why is it tvo pappakassa and not something like tveir pappakassar?

Because taka (to take) takes a direct object, and direct objects are usually in the accusative case.

  • tveir pappakassar = nominative (“two cardboard boxes” as a subject)
  • tvo pappakassa = accusative (“take two cardboard boxes” as an object)

So:

  • Tveir pappakassar eru hér. = Two boxes are here. (subject → nominative)
  • Ég tek tvo pappakassa. = I take two boxes. (object → accusative)
How do I know it’s tvo (and not tvær or tvö)?

The number two agrees with the noun’s gender and case. pappakassi is masculine, and here it’s accusative plural, so:

  • masculine accusative: tvo
  • feminine accusative would be tvær
  • neuter accusative would be tvö

Example:

  • tvo kassa (m.)
  • tvær bækur (f.)
  • tvö börn (n.)
What is the dictionary form of pappakassa, and why does it end in -a here?

Dictionary form: pappakassi (masculine, “cardboard box”). Here it appears as pappakassa because it’s accusative plural. A common pattern for masculine nouns ending in -i is:

  • nominative singular: -i (pappakassi)
  • accusative plural: -a (pappakassa)

So tvo pappakassa is “two cardboard boxes” as an object.

Does this sentence mean I’m doing it right now, or could it be a plan for later today?

It can be either, depending on context. Icelandic often uses the present tense to talk about:

  • habitual actions (“Today I (usually) go…”)
  • actions happening now (“Today I’m going…”)
  • near-future plans (“Today I’m going to go…”)

If you want to make the “plan” feeling more explicit, you might add a time cue or phrasing around intention in other contexts, but the plain present is very common.