Adverbs of Origin: -an
In Icelandic, directional adverbs change form depending on whether you are moving towards, located at, or moving away from a place. To indicate movement or origin away from a location, use the suffix -an.
Two common examples are héðan (from here) and þaðan (from there). These are especially useful when discussing logistics, shipping routes, or explaining where something is coming from.
| From here the shipment goes by airplane. | Héðan fer sendingin með flugvél. |
| You can track the shipment from there. | Þú getur sporað sendinguna þaðan. |
| I find the distance from here too long. | Mér finnst vegalengdin héðan of löng. |
| The tracking number shows that the shipment went from here yesterday. | Rakningarnúmerið sýnir að sendingin fór héðan í gær. |
From Home
Another essential adverb of origin is heiman (from home). Unlike héðan and þaðan, it is almost always paired with the preposition að, forming the phrase að heiman.
| He always works from home. | Hann vinnur alltaf að heiman. |
| Today I track the package from home. | Í dag spora ég pakkann að heiman. |
| The distance from home to the post office is short. | Vegalengdin að heiman á pósthúsið er stutt. |
Postal Logistics
When dealing with mail and deliveries, combine adverbs of origin with specific logistics vocabulary to track packages and navigate the post office. Watch how terms like burðargjaldið (the postage), tollurinn (the customs), and vöruhúsið (the warehouse) interact with héðan and þaðan.
| The postage from here is very high. | Burðargjaldið héðan er mjög hátt. |
| The customs stops the shipment from there. | Tollurinn stoppar sendinguna þaðan. |
| We took the box out of the warehouse and sent it from here. | Við tókum kassann úr vöruhúsinu og sendum hann héðan. |
