Breakdown of Við setjum pottaplöntuna í gluggakistuna, þar sem hún fær þar meiri sól.
þar
there
við
we
setja
to put
sólin
the sun
Questions & Answers about Við setjum pottaplöntuna í gluggakistuna, þar sem hún fær þar meiri sól.
Why is the verb setjum used here, and what form is it?
Setjum is the 1st person plural present tense of að setja (to put, set, place).
- við = we
- við setjum = we put / we are putting
So the verb matches the subject við. Icelandic verbs change form depending on the subject and tense, so learners often need to notice that setjum specifically means we put.
Why is pottaplöntuna one long word?
Icelandic makes heavy use of compound nouns, much more than English.
pottaplanta = potted plant / pot plant
It is built from:
- pottur = pot
- planta = plant
When Icelandic combines words, they are usually written as one word, not two separate words. That is very normal in Icelandic.
The form pottaplöntuna is not just the base noun, though. It also includes:
- the definite article (the), attached to the end
- the correct case ending
So pottaplöntuna means the potted plant in the form required by the sentence.
Why do both and end in ?