Ég tek hinn.

Taka is the infinitive, meaning to take. In the sentence, the verb has to be conjugated to match ég (I), so you get tek, the 1st person singular present form.

This verb is a bit irregular, so the stem changes:

• ég tek — I take
• þú tekur — you take
• hann/hún/það tekur — he/she/it takes
• við tökum — we take

So Ég tek is the correct form for I take / I’ll take.

In Icelandic, the present tense is often used for something you are deciding right now, especially in everyday situations like choosing food, clothes, or objects.

So Ég tek hinn is literally I take the other one, but in natural English the best translation is often I’ll take the other one.

If you want to make the future idea more explicit, Icelandic can also say:

• Ég ætla að taka hinn — I’m going to take the other one

But Ég tek hinn is very natural in the right context.

Here hinn means something like the other one.

It is referring to a specific item that is already understood from context, usually in contrast with another one. For example, if two shirts are being discussed and one is masculine in Icelandic, hinn can stand for the other shirt.

So this is not just a random one. It points to a particular alternative already known in the conversation.

Because it is agreeing with an understood noun in:

• gender
• number
• case

In this sentence, hinn is most naturally understood as masculine singular accusative, because:

1. tek takes a direct object
2. direct objects with taka are usually in the accusative
3. the omitted noun is apparently masculine singular

So hinn tells you something about the hidden noun.

If the noun were a different gender, the form would change. For example:

• Ég tek hina — if the understood noun is feminine
• Ég tek hið — if the understood noun is neuter

Yes, you can think of there being an understood noun that is left out because it is obvious from context.

This works a lot like English:

• I’ll take the red one
• I’ll take the other one

In Icelandic, if everyone already knows what object is being talked about, the noun does not have to be repeated. So hinn can stand on its own.

Not exactly, though they are related.

The usual Icelandic definite article is attached to the noun:

• bíll — car
• bíllinn — the car

But hinn is a separate word. In modern Icelandic, it often has a more contrastive or special feeling, especially in a sentence like this one. Here it is not simply marking definiteness; it is identifying the other one.

So in Ég tek hinn, hinn is doing more than just saying the.

This is a very common question, because both can relate to other.

A useful basic distinction is:

• annar often means another, a second, or sometimes the other
• hinn more often points to the other one in a known contrast, especially when choosing between two things

So if two items are on the table and you mean not this one, but the other one, hinn is a very natural choice.

There can be overlap in real usage, but for learners, it is helpful to think of hinn as the more clearly contrastive form here.

Yes. This is the ordinary, neutral Icelandic word order:

• Ég — subject
• tek — verb
• hinn — object

So it follows the basic pattern subject + verb + object, just like English I take it / I take the other one.

Icelandic can change word order for emphasis or in certain sentence types, but this version is the most straightforward and natural one.