Hann er í vandræðum.

to be

Breakdown of Hann er í vandræðum.

• hann: he
• í: in
• vandræðin: the trouble; difficulties

Questions & Answers about Hann er í vandræðum.

Why does Icelandic say í vandræðum instead of just vandræði?

Because this expression is built like to be in trouble / to be in difficulties: you use the verb vera (to be) plus the preposition í (in) plus the noun.

So the pattern is:

• Hann er í vandræðum
• literally: He is in difficulties
• natural meaning: He is in trouble

Without í, the sentence would not sound like the normal idiomatic expression.

What case is vandræðum, and why does it have that ending?

Vandræðum is dative plural.

The preposition í can take either:

• dative for location or state
• accusative for motion into something

Here, Hann er í vandræðum describes a state he is in, not movement, so Icelandic uses the dative.

That is why you get:

• nominative/accusative plural: vandræði
• dative plural: vandræðum

Why is it plural? English usually says trouble, not troubles.