Ég set sundfötin í töskuna áður en við förum á ströndina.

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Breakdown of Ég set sundfötin í töskuna áður en við förum á ströndina.

• við: we
• fara: to go
• setja: to put

Questions & Answers about Ég set sundfötin í töskuna áður en við förum á ströndina.

Why is it sundfötin and not just sundföt?

Sundfötin means the swimwear / the swimsuit, while sundföt means swimwear / swimsuit in a more indefinite sense.

The ending -in is the suffixed definite article in Icelandic. Instead of using a separate word like English the, Icelandic often attaches it to the noun.

So:

• sundföt = swimwear / a swimsuit
• sundfötin = the swimwear / the swimsuit

A useful thing to notice is that sundföt is grammatically plural in Icelandic, even when English might use a singular expression like a swimsuit.

Why is sundföt plural in Icelandic?

Some items of clothing are commonly treated as plural nouns in Icelandic, much like English pants, shorts, or glasses.

So sundföt is literally something like swimming clothes. Even if English translation gives swimsuit, Icelandic grammar treats the word as plural.

That is why you see:

• sundföt
• sundfötin

rather than a singular form in this sentence.

What exactly does set mean here?