Breakdown of Síðan ég fékk stærra geymsluhólf er svefnherbergið mitt miklu minna fullt.
Questions & Answers about Síðan ég fékk stærra geymsluhólf er svefnherbergið mitt miklu minna fullt.
What does síðan mean here?
Here síðan means since, introducing a time clause: since I got...
That is different from the very common adverb use of síðan meaning then or after that.
You can tell from the structure:
- Síðan ég fékk... = Since I got...
- Ég fór heim og síðan sofnaði ég. = I went home and then I fell asleep.
So in this sentence, síðan is a conjunction, not an adverb.
Why is fékk in the past tense, but er in the present?
Because the sentence talks about:
- a completed event in the past: ég fékk stærra geymsluhólf = I got a bigger storage compartment/unit
- a state that is true now: svefnherbergið mitt er... = my bedroom is...
So the logic is:
Since that past event happened, this present situation is now true.
This is very natural in Icelandic. English often does something similar:
- Since I moved, I’m happier.
- Since I got more storage, my room is less full.
Why does er come right after the opening síðan clause?
This is because of the Icelandic V2 word order rule.
In main clauses, the finite verb normally comes in the second position. If you begin the sentence with something other than the subject, that whole element takes the first slot.
Here, the first slot is the entire subordinate clause:
Síðan ég fékk stærra geymsluhólf | er | svefnherbergið mitt ...
So even though svefnherbergið mitt is the subject, the verb er comes before it because the sentence starts with another element.
What case is geymsluhólf, and why is stærra in that form?
Geymsluhólf is the direct object of fékk.
The verb fá normally takes the accusative, so geymsluhólf is accusative singular here. Since geymsluhólf is a neuter noun, the comparative adjective has to match it:
- stærra geymsluhólf = bigger storage compartment/unit
Why stærra and not stærri?
Because stærra is the neuter singular form.
Stærri is the masculine/feminine singular form.
So:
- stærri bíll = a bigger car
- stærri taska = a bigger bag
- stærra herbergi = a bigger room
What does geymsluhólf mean literally?
It is a compound noun:
- geymsla = storage
- hólf = compartment, section, cubby, slot
So geymsluhólf literally means something like storage compartment.
Depending on context, English could render it as:
- storage unit
- storage compartment
- locker
- storage cubby
Compound nouns like this are extremely common in Icelandic.
Why is it svefnherbergið mitt instead of mitt svefnherbergi?
Because noun + definite article + possessive is a very common and neutral Icelandic pattern:
- bíllinn minn = my car
- húsið mitt = my house
- svefnherbergið mitt = my bedroom
This is usually the most natural way to say my specific X.
The version mitt svefnherbergi is possible, but it is more marked and often feels more emphatic or contrastive, something like:
my bedroom (as opposed to another room / someone else’s bedroom)
So in this sentence, svefnherbergið mitt is the normal, everyday choice.
Why is the possessive form mitt?
Because svefnherbergið is neuter singular.
The possessive minn changes for gender and number:
- masculine: minn
- feminine: mín
- neuter: mitt
So:
- bíllinn minn = my car
- taskan mín = my bag
- svefnherbergið mitt = my bedroom
The possessive agrees with the noun it belongs to.
How does miklu minna fullt mean much less full?
This is a very useful Icelandic comparative pattern.
- minna = less
- miklu = much / far
- fullt = full
So:
minna fullt = less full
miklu minna fullt = much less full / far less full
A key point: miklu is very commonly used with comparatives as an intensifier.
Compare:
- miklu betri = much better
- miklu stærra = much bigger
- miklu minna = much less
So miklu minna fullt is completely natural grammar.
Why is fullt the form used here?
Because fullt is the neuter singular form of the adjective fullur.
The subject is svefnherbergið, which is neuter singular, and predicative adjectives agree with the subject:
- Herbergið er fullt. = The room is full.
- Bíllinn er fullur. = The car is full.
- Taskan er full. = The bag is full.
So in this sentence, fullt matches svefnherbergið.
Is fullt meant literally here, or more like cluttered?
It can easily carry that more natural English sense.
Literally, fullt means full, but when talking about a room, it often implies:
- full of stuff
- crowded with things
- cluttered
So while less full is the direct meaning, in natural English you might also say:
- my bedroom is much less cluttered
- my bedroom is much less packed
- my bedroom has a lot less stuff in it
The exact best translation depends on the context.
Could I also say hefur verið instead of er?
Yes, you could say:
Síðan ég fékk stærra geymsluhólf hefur svefnherbergið mitt verið miklu minna fullt.
That would mean something like my bedroom has been much less full since I got a bigger storage compartment/unit.
The difference is mainly one of aspect and emphasis:
- er presents the current state very directly
- hefur verið emphasizes that the state has continued over time up to now
In everyday Icelandic, the version with er is very natural here.
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