Lestin fer norður í dag.

to go

Breakdown of Lestin fer norður í dag.

• lestin: the train
• í dag: today
• norður: north; northwards

Questions & Answers about Lestin fer norður í dag.

What does Lestin literally consist of, and why is there no separate word for the?

Lestin = lest + -in.

• lest = train
• -in = the definite article, so the

So Lestin means the train.

In Icelandic, the is very often attached to the noun as an ending instead of being a separate word like in English. That is why you do not see a separate word for the here.

Also, lest is a feminine noun, and -in is the definite ending used here for that form.

Why is it fer and not fara?

Because fer is the conjugated form of the verb fara.

• fara = to go
• fer = goes / is going

Here the subject is Lestin = the train, which is third person singular, so the verb must also be in the third person singular present tense:

• ég fer = I go
• þú ferð = you go
• hann/hún/það fer = he/she/it goes

So Lestin fer means the train goes.

Does only mean , or can it also mean something like or ?