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Icelandic

In English, we pair certain adjectives with specific prepositions, saying that someone is "interested **in**" something or "afraid **of**" someone. In Icelandic, adjectives similarly pair with fixed prepositions. 

When you use these adjective-preposition pairs, it is the preposition that dictates the case (accusative or dative) of the noun that follows.

### Adjectives with "um" (+ Accusative)

When talking about your interests, you will often use the preposition **um** (about/in). In these adjective pairs, **um** always forces the following noun into the accusative case.

- **áhugasamur um** (interested in)
- **forvitinn um** (curious about)

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### Adjectives with "með" (+ Accusative)

To express your satisfaction, disappointment, or how you handle things, you will frequently use **með** (with). With these specific adjectives, the object being evaluated or handled takes the accusative case.

- **vonsvikinn með** (disappointed with)
- **kærulaus með** (careless with)
- **ánægður með** (happy / satisfied with)

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### Skills and Fears: "í" and "við"

When discussing your skills, the adjective **góður** (good) pairs with **í** (at/in) and requires the **dative** case. 

Conversely, when talking about things that frighten you, **hræddur** (afraid) pairs with **við** (of/with) and requires the **accusative** case.

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### The Preposition "fyrir": Accusative vs. Dative

The preposition **fyrir** (for) is heavily used with adjectives, but the case it demands depends entirely on the adjective it pairs with. 

- **þekktur fyrir** (known for) takes the **accusative** case.
- **spenntur fyrir** (excited for/about) takes the **dative** case.

Notice in the examples below how "þetta ljóð" (this poem) is in the accusative, while "skáldsögunni" (the novel) takes the definite dative ending *-inni*.

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Adjectives with fixed prepositions

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

phrase

prep

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Presentative and the definite suffix (þetta er, -inn, -in, -ið)

Singular pronouns and to be (ég er, þú ert)

Singular adjective agreement

Yes/no questions (ert þú…?)

Basic negation (ekki)

Plural pronouns and to be (við erum, þeir eru)

Group 1 weak verbs (-ar)

Group 2 and 3 verbs (-ir, -ur)

Information questions (hvað, hver, hvar)

Expressing opinions (mér finnst, mér líkar)

Expressing desires (mig langar)

Numbers 1 to 10 (einn, tveir, þrír)

Direct objects on indefinite nouns

Direct objects on definite nouns

Singular object pronouns (mig, þig...)

Plural object pronouns (okkur, ykkur...)

Directional prepositions (um, í, á)

Verb-second word order

Expressing intentions (ætla að)

Needs and wants (þurfa, vilja)

Middle voice verbs (-st)

Possessive pronouns (minn, þinn)

Dative case with prepositions (í, á, frá)

Definite dative nouns (-num, -nni, -nu)

Dative personal pronouns (honum, henni, þeim)

Plural nouns (-ar, -ir, -ur)

Definite plural nouns (-nir, -nar, -in)

Accusative plural nouns

Number agreement 1 to 4 (einn, tveir…)

Singular commands

Past tense of the verb to be (var, vorum)

Present continuous (vera að)

Strong verbs in the present tense

Weather and dummy subjects (það)

Invariable possessive pronouns (hans, hennar, þeirra)

Accusative possessives (minn, þinn)

Accompaniment (með)

Dative plural (-um, -unum)

Compound sentences (og, en, eða)

"This" in the nominative (þessi, þessi, þetta)

"This" in the accusative (þennan, þessa, þetta)

Accusative adjectives (-an, -a, -t)

Numbers 1 to 4 in the accusative (einn, tvo, þrjá)

Third-person reflexive pronouns (sig, sér)

The preposition "to" with the genitive (til)

Subordinating conjunctions (að, af því að)

Simple past of weak verbs (-aði)

Question words (hvernig, hvaða)

Physical possession (vera með)

Abstract possession (hafa)

Telling time (hálf, korter)

Plural commands (-ið)

The simple past tense (-di, -ti, -ði)

Possessive noun endings (-s, -ar)

Days of the week (á mánudaginn, á mánudögum)

Kveðjur — greetings (halló, bless)

Um mig — where I am from

Kurteisi — please, sorry, congratulations

Ability and knowing how (kunna að)

Permission (mega)

Obligation (eiga að)

Plural strong verbs

Numbers 11 to 20 (ellefu, tólf...)

Counting by tens to 100 (þrjátíu, fjörutíu...)

Ordinal numbers 1st to 10th (fyrsti, annar...)

All / everything / everyone (allur)

The indefinite pronoun someone (einhver)

The indefinite pronoun no one (enginn)

Compound numbers from 21 (tuttugu og)

This in the dative singular (þessum, þessari, þessu)

These in the dative plural (þessum)

My and your in the dative (mínum, þínum)

Numbers 1 to 4 in the dative (einum, tveimur)

Adjectives in the dative singular (-um, -ri, -u)

Adjectives in the dative plural (-um)

Reflexive possessive in the accusative (sinn, sína, sitt)

Reflexive possessive in the dative (sínum, sinni)

Reflexive versus regular possessives (sinn, hans)

Demonstrative plural (þessir, þessar, þessi)

Definite genitive singular (-sins, -arinnar)

Indefinite genitive plural (-a)

Definite genitive plural (-anna)

Genitive prepositions (án, milli, vegna)

Prepositions of direction (yfir, undir, fyrir)

Prepositions of static location (yfir, undir, fyrir)

Question	Answer
interested	áhugasamur
the visual art	myndlistin
I am very interested in visual art.	Ég er mjög áhugasamur um myndlist.
the poem	ljóðið
Who is interested in this poem?	Hver er áhugasamur um þetta ljóð?
curious	forvitinn
the novel	skáldsagan
The student is curious about this novel.	Nemandinn er forvitinn um þessa skáldsögu.
Are you curious about new visual art?	Ert þú forvitinn um nýja myndlist?
known	þekktur
The writer is known for this poem.	Rithöfundurinn er þekktur fyrir þetta ljóð.
the critic	gagnrýnandinn
The critic is known for good articles.	Gagnrýnandinn er þekktur fyrir góðar greinar.
disappointed	vonsvikinn
She is disappointed with this novel.	Hún er vonsvikin með þessa skáldsögu.
the performance	frammistaðan
Is the teacher disappointed with the performance?	Er kennarinn vonsvikinn með frammistöðuna?
careless	kærulaus
He is always careless with his money.	Hann er alltaf kærulaus með peningana sína.
The critic is never careless with his words.	Gagnrýnandinn er aldrei kærulaus með orðin sín.
Are you good at football?	Ert þú góður í fótbolta?
Why are they afraid of the critic?	Af hverju eru þau hrædd við gagnrýnandann?
I am excited for the novel.	Ég er spenntur fyrir skáldsögunni.
I am very happy with this performance.	Ég er mjög ánægður með þessa frammistöðu.
unlike, different (from, + Dative)	ólíkur
She is very unlike her sister.	Hún er mjög ólík systur sinni.
The brothers are different in everything.	Bræðurnir eru ólíkir í öllu.
friendly, kind	vinsamlegur
The people here are friendly to everyone.	Fólkið hérna er vinsamlegt við alla.
She sent me a friendly answer.	Hún sendi mér vinsamlegt svar.

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