Ég þurrka nefið með vasaklútnum þegar ég er með kvef.

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Breakdown of Ég þurrka nefið með vasaklútnum þegar ég er með kvef.

• með: with
• þegar: when
• vera með: to have

Questions & Answers about Ég þurrka nefið með vasaklútnum þegar ég er með kvef.

Why does Icelandic say nefið and not nefið mitt?

With body parts, Icelandic very often uses the definite noun by itself when the owner is obvious from context. Since the subject is ég, nefið naturally means my nose here.

You can add mitt for emphasis or contrast, but it is not the normal default.

Is nefið nominative or accusative here?

Here it is accusative, because it is the direct object of þurrka.

It looks the same as the nominative because nef is a neuter noun, and for many neuter nouns the nominative and accusative singular have the same form. So nefið can be either one, depending on its role in the sentence.

Why is it vasaklútnum?

Because með takes the dative case, and the noun is also definite singular.

So:

• vasaklútur = a handkerchief
• vasaklútnum = with the handkerchief

The ending shows both the case and the definite article.

Could I also say með vasaklút?