Við setjum kubbana og litabókina á borðið eftir morgunmat.

We put the blocks and the coloring book on the table after breakfast.

Breakdown of Við setjum kubbana og litabókina á borðið eftir morgunmat.

• við: we
• borðið: the table
• setja: to put
• á: on

Questions & Answers about Við setjum kubbana og litabókina á borðið eftir morgunmat.

Why is it setjum and not setja?

Setja is the infinitive, meaning to put / to place.
In the sentence, the verb has to agree with við (we), so it becomes setjum, which is the 1st person plural present tense.

So:

• setja = to put
• við setjum = we put / we are putting

In context, this can describe either a general action or what we are doing now, depending on the situation.

Why is there no separate word for the?

In Icelandic, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word.

In this sentence:

• kubbana = the blocks
• litabókina = the coloring book
• borðið = the table

So Icelandic often does with endings what English does with a separate word like the.

Why do kubbana and litabókina have different endings if both mean the ...?