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Það er aðeins ein innstunga nálægt borðinu, svo við notum langa snúru fyrir hleðslutækið.

Það er aðeins ein innstunga nálægt borðinu, svo við notum langa snúru fyrir hleðslutækið.
There is only one outlet near the table, so we use a long cord for the charger.

Breakdown of Það er aðeins ein innstunga nálægt borðinu, svo við notum langa snúru fyrir hleðslutækið.

vera
to be
það
it
við
we
borðið
the table
fyrir
for
svo
so
nota
to use
langur
long
einn
one
hleðslutækið
the charger
aðeins
only
nálægt
near
innstungan
the outlet
snúran
the cord
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Questions & Answers about Það er aðeins ein innstunga nálægt borðinu, svo við notum langa snúru fyrir hleðslutækið.

Why does the sentence start with Það er…? What does það mean here?

In Það er…, það is a “dummy” or “expletive” subject, like English There is…. It doesn’t refer to a specific thing; it just fills the subject slot so you can introduce new information:

  • Það er aðeins ein innstunga… = There is only one outlet…
Why is it er and not eru?

Because the “real” thing being described is singular: ein innstunga (one outlet). Icelandic uses singular er with a singular complement:

  • Það er ein innstunga. (singular)
  • Það eru tvær innstungur. (plural)
What’s the role of aðeins and where can it go?

aðeins means only / just. In this sentence it modifies the quantity ein (only one). Its placement is flexible, but changes emphasis slightly:

  • Það er aðeins ein innstunga… = focuses on “only one”
  • Það er einungis ein innstunga… (similar, a bit more formal)
  • Það er bara ein innstunga… (more casual)
Why is it ein innstunga (feminine)? How do I know?

innstunga (socket/outlet) is a feminine noun. The numeral one agrees with gender:

  • masculine: einn
  • feminine: ein
  • neuter: eitt

So you get ein innstunga.

Why is it nálægt borðinu and not nálægt borðið?

The preposition nálægt governs the dative case, so borð (table, neuter) becomes borðinu (dative singular definite).

  • nominative/accusative: borð / borðið
  • dative: borði / borðinu
What does the -inu ending in borðinu tell me?

-inu here signals neuter dative singular definite (“the table” in the dative). It’s basically:

  • stem borð
    • definite article ending + dative ending combined into borðinu.
What does svo mean here? Is it “so” as in “very”?

Here svo is the conjunction meaning so / therefore, linking cause → result:

  • …svo við notum… = …so we use…

It can also mean so as an intensifier (svo góð/tt = so good), but not in this sentence.

Why is the verb second in svo við notum…?

Icelandic follows the V2 (verb-second) rule in main clauses: the finite verb typically comes in the second position. Here the first element is the subject við, so the verb notum comes right after:

  • við notum = we use

(If something else came first, the verb would still be second, often causing inversion.)

Why is it langa snúru and not löng snúra?

Because snúru is accusative singular (it’s the direct object of notum, “use”), and the adjective langur (“long”) must agree in case, gender, number with the noun:

  • nominative: löng snúra (“a long cable” as subject)
  • accusative: langa snúru (“a long cable” as object)
Why is snúru in the accusative—how can I tell?

The verb nota (“to use”) takes a direct object in the accusative. The noun snúra (feminine) has:

  • nominative singular: snúra
  • accusative singular: snúru

So notum snúru = “use a cable.”

What case does fyrir take in fyrir hleðslutækið, and why?

fyrir can take accusative or dative depending on meaning. Here it means for (the purpose of), which uses the accusative:

  • fyrir hleðslutækið = for the charger

(With location “in front of,” it commonly takes dative.)

Why is it hleðslutækið with -ið at the end?

hleðslutæki is neuter (“charger/charging device”). -ið is the neuter singular definite ending (the):

  • hleðslutæki = “a charger”
  • hleðslutækið = “the charger”

In this sentence it’s also accusative, and for many neuter nouns the nominative and accusative definite forms are identical: -ið.

What does the comma do in the sentence?

It separates two clauses: 1) Það er aðeins ein innstunga nálægt borðinu, 2) svo við notum langa snúru fyrir hleðslutækið.

This is like English: There’s only one outlet near the table, so we use…